LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

AT  URBANA-CHAMPAICN 


977o338 
C84S 
cop. 2 


T  „H  .S  . 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign 


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SKETCHES 

of 

Wethersfield  Township 

By 

Frank  H.  Craig, 


1836  -  1925 


Wethersfield,    your   home,   my  home, 
With  soil  so  rich  and  deep, 

Where  fields  of  waving  grain 

For  miles  the  prairies  sweep. 

Its  pastures  and  its  fields, 

Beneath  our  flag  unfurled, 

Raise  many  useful  products 

For  the  markets  of  the  world. 

A  gem  within  the  bosom 

Of  the  greatest  land  on  earth; 

Where  of  noble  men  and  women 
There  has  never  been  a  dearth. 

Of  this  township,  Wethersfield, 
Let  us  ever  then  be  proud; 

Let  us  ever,  ever  love  it, 

Let  us  sing  its  praises  loud. 

For  a  township,  like  a  state, 

Will  be  great,  or  will  be  small, 

As  they  think  and  live  within  it, 
One  by  one,  its  people  all. 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


Position 

When  we  say  we  live  in  the  town,  or  township,  of  Wethersfield,  we  mean 
that  we  live  in  one  of  the  twenty-four  political  divisions  or  townships  of 
Henry  county;  that  we  live  in  one  of  the  hundred  and  two  political  divisions 
or  counties  of  Illinois,  and  that  we  live  in  one  of  the  forty-eight  political 
divisions  or  states  of  the  United  States  of  America. 

The  soil  of  this  township  was  in  possession  of  the  Indians  when  the 
first  white  people  came.  Whether  the  township  was  ever  inhabited  by  a 
former  race,  like  other  portions  of  the  state  were,  as  is  shown  by  mounds 
and  implements,  is  a  subject  only  for  conjecture.  No  remains  of  such  a  race 
have  yet  been  found  within  the  borders  of  the  township. 

Wethersfield  lies  in  41°-12'  North  Latitude  and  89°-45'  West  Longitude. 
It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Bums  and  Kewanee  townships,  on  the  east  by 
Elmira  township,  on  the  south  by  Goshen  township,  and  on  the  west  by 
Galva  township.     It  is  the  most  southeastern  township  in  Henry  county. 

Wethersfield  township  is  No.  14  north  of  the  base  line  and  it  is  in 
Range  5,  east  of  the  Fourth  Principal  Meridian.  The  Fourth  Principal  Mer- 
idian begins  at  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  river  and  runs  straight  north  to 
Lake  Michigan.  The  base  line  crosses  the  Fourth  Principal  Meridian  at 
Beardstown. 

Lying  near  the  center  of  the  North  Temperate  zone,  Wethersfield  town- 
ship has  four  well-marked  seasons — Spring,  Summer,  Autumn,  and  Winter. 

Spring 

Spring  usually  is  quite  changeable,  with  much  mud.  The  roads  are 
rough  and  heavy  due  to  night  freezing  and  daytime  thawing.  The  winds 
increase  in  strength  during  March.  Wethersfield  has  its  proverbial  March 
weather,  its  April  showers,  and  May  flowers. 

It  is  the  season  when  the  birds  return  from  the  Southland;  when  the 
long  silence  of  winter  is  broken  by  the  music  of  bird  songs  and  when  every 
tree  and  shrub  echo  with  the  liquid  notes  of  some  feathered  songster.  It  is 
the  season  when  deep  in  the  earth  Mother  Nature  removes  the  winter  gar- 
ments from  her  flower  children  and  sends  them  forth  to  beautify  the  earth. 


Summer 

The  summers,  with  an  occasional  exception,  are  warm,  the  temperature 
rising  in  the  daytime  to  ninety  or  ninety-five  in  the  shade.  The  nights  are 
also  uncomfortably  warm.  Both  of  these  conditions  of  heat  are  necessary 
to  make  possible  the  large  crops  of  corn  raised  in  this  township. 


'      7.3 


WKTIIKIISFIIOLI)     SKETCHES 


The   Songster 

A  jolly  brown  thrush, 

High  up  in  a  tree, 
Is  singing  a  song 

That  is  music  for  me. 

Happy  roister  is  he, 

This  song  bird  of  mine, 
Who  wakes  with  the  sun 

On  these  mornings  so  fine. 

Swinging  high  on  a  branch 

Of  the   old   apple  tree, 
He  breaks  forth  in  songs, 

For  he's  happy  and  free. 

The  cherries  are  gone, 

But  the  berries  I  fear 
Will  tempt  his  bright  eyes, 
.    In  the  garden  so  near. 

But  why   should   I   care,   if 

With  my  fruit  he  makes  free, 
While  he  pays  with  the  songs 

That  are  music  for  me? 

Autumn 

Fall  is  one  of  the  most  pleasant  seasons  of  the  year — the  season  when 

September   days   are  bright   and   clear, 
Bluest  skies  of  all  the  year; 
Gold  and  purple  are  the  leaves, 
Silver  threads  the  spider  weaves. 

The  fall  rains  fit  the  ground  for  plowing.  Late  frosts  help  to  ripen  the 
corn  so  that  the  farmer  can  get  it  in  his  cribs  by  December.  The  nuts  fall 
from  the  trees  and  the  squirrel  puts  away  his  stores  for  winter. 

The  potatoes  are  dug  and  stored  in  bins  along  the  cellar  walls.  The 
apples  are  picked  and  stored  in  the  barn  till  winter,  or  left  in  heaps  in  the 
orchard  to  be  barreled  later.  The  keen  air  of  the  early  morning  heralds  old 
Winter's  emissaries — the  ice  and  the  snow. 

The  Winter   Elves 

1  3 

The  gold  of  the  leaves,  With  touch  of  frost, 

The  blue  of  the  sky,  It  proclaims  its  sway, 

The  honk  of  the  geese,  And  sends  the  winter  elves 

As  southward  they  fly,  A-riding  this  way. 

2  4 
Tell  us  that  fall,                                                Elves  that  delight 

With  its  wealth  untold,  In  tweaking  the  nose, 

Has  arrived  again,  And  everything  else, 

As  in  days  of  old.  Including  the  toes. 


1 


WKTHKIlSKIKU)     SKETCHES 


In  fancy  we  see  them 
Come  trooping  along, 

Old  elf  and  young  elf, 

With  dance  and  with  song. 


They  loop  the  moth, 
With  reins  of  gold, 

And  ride,  forsooth! 
With  joys  untold. 


Out  for  mischief 

Are  those  merry  elves, 
With  never  a  thought 

Except  for  themselves. 


'Tis  fun  for  the  elves, 
The  livelong  night, 

Till  the  rising  sun 
Puts  them  to  flight. 


They  dance  at  midnight 
In  the  forest  glade, 

Beside  the  burrow 

That  the  rabbit  made. 


10 
Then  tired  and  sleepy 

And  cross  are  the  elves. 
For  in  some  dark  place 

They  hide  themselves. 


11 
And  never  again 

Are  elf-folk  found 
Till  the  moon  floods  all 

In  its  nightly  round. 


Winter 

In  winter  changes  in  temperature  may  be  sudden  and  considerable.  Of 
late  years  the  winters  are  practically  snowless  except  when,  at  periods  of 
eight  or  ten  years,  occur  heavy  falls  of  snow  which  lie  on  the  ground  for 
most  of  the  winter.  The  winter  temperature  seldom  falls  below  twenty  or 
twenty-five  degrees  below  zero. 

There's  a  time  in  the  life  of  man, 
When  the  work  of  the  season  is  done, 

When  the  rewards  for  his  trials  and  toil 
Have  been  gathered  one  by  one. 

His  strength  and  his  youth  have  passed; 

They,  like  the  leaves  in  the  fall, 
Have  loosened  their  hold  on  the  twig, 

No  more  will  they  strive  at  all. 

But  man,  like  the  leaves  of  the  forest, 

Has  gathered  the  season's  gold, 
By  his  deeds  of  kindness  to  others, 

He  is  richer  a  hundred  fold. 

He  has  learned,  as  we  all  must  learn, 

As  we  near  the  parting  of  ways, 
That  this  helping  one  another 

Is  the  only  thing  that  pays. 


We  need  not  fear  the  future  then, 
While  watching  our  leaves  to  fall, 

For  we  know  that  a  loving  hand 
Cares  for  the  leaves  and  for  all. 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


Size 

Wethersfield  township  is  six  miles  square  and  contains  22,421.17  acres 
of  land.  The  surface  is  generally  level  or  undulating.  The  sloughs  of  the 
southern,  central  and  north-central  parts  of  the  township  unite  to  form 
Indian  creek,  which  flows  a  little  east  of  south,  passing  out  of  the  township 
nearly  two  miles  west  of  its  southeastern  corner. 

The  Soil 

Wethersfield  township  has  been  subjected  to  two  glaciations.  The  sec- 
ond of  these  glaciations  took  place  many  thousands  of  years  after  the  first 
glaciation.  The  second  glaciation  pushed  westward  hardly  any  if  at  all 
beyond  the  western  boundary  of  the  township. 

The  surface  soil,  rich  and  black,  overlies  two  or  more  clays.  These 
clays  are  the  results  of  the  decay  of  the  original  rocks.  The  rich  black 
top-soil  is  a  deposit  of  glacial  drift  mixed  by  the  action  of  earth  worms 
with  humus  derived  from  decayed  animal  and  vegetable  life. 

In  several  places  in  the  township  small  beds  of  gravel  and  of  sand  are 
found.  Occasionally  large  bowlders  are  seen  either  upon  or  near  the  sur- 
face of  the  earth.  These  beds  of  sand  and  gravel  are  terminal  moraines 
of  one  or  the  other  of  the  great  ice-sheets  or  glaciers  before  mentioned. 

The  bowlders  were  brought  from  the  Laurentian  Highlands  in  Canada 
by  those  same  ice-sheets  and  were  left  where  they  now  lie  when  the  ice- 
sheets  melted. 


Wethersfield    Trees 


Forests 

Originally  there  were  two  areas  of  timber  land  in  the  township.    One  of 
these  areas  covered  the  south  central  part  along  Indian  creek;    the  other 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


area  was  a  portion  of  Barren  Grove  which  extended  into  the  northern  part 
of  the  township. 

A  portion  of  the  southern  area- still  remains  on  section  34.  Blish's  woods 
is  all  that  remains  of  the  northern  area.  The  trees  of  these  forests  con- 
sisted of  oaks,  walnut,  hickory,  etc.  The  wild  crab  apple,  wild  plum,  and 
the  haw  tree  were  and  are  still  found,  though  in  greatly  decreased  numbers. 
Sumac,  hazel  and  wild  blackberry,  which  grew  in  great  abundance,  have 
almost  entirely  disappeared.  Most  of  the  oak,  hickory  and  black  walnut 
timber  has  been  removed,  but  an  occasional  tree  or  a  few  trees  still  stand 
to  mark  the  spot  where  some  natural  grove  formerly  stood. 


Minerals 

Coal  has  never  been  mined  to  any  great  extent  in  Wethersfield  town- 
ship, though  it  has  been  mined  in  some  of  the  adjoining  townships.  From 
the  early  80's  till  in  the  90's  coal  was  taken  from  tunnels  run  into  the 
banks  of  the  slough  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  19.  There  is  at 
present  a  mine  on  section  20  from  which  a  good  quality  of  bituminous  coal 
is  being  taken. 

Borings  for  water  show  that  a  layer  of  coal  from  three  to  four  and  one- 
half  feet  in  thickness  underlies  at  least  a  part  of  the  township,  but  in  many 
places  the  roof  of  this  deposit  is  such  as  to  make  mining  of  the  coal  unprof- 
itable. Some  sand  for  building  purposes  was  obtained  in  the  70's  from  a 
mound  on  the  south  end  of  the  east  one-half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  29. 

i 

Game 

In  the  days  before  the  white  man  came  to  Illinois,  herds  of  wild  animals 
such  as  the  buffalo,  the  elk  and  the  deer  roamed  over  the  prairies  of  Weth- 
ersfield township  and  took  refuge  in  its  groves.  Elk  were  shot  upon  the 
prairies  of  Illinois  as  late  as  1816,  and  buffalo  as  late  as  1818.  The  last 
beaver  was  trapped  in  1876. 

There  still  may  be  seen  near  the  southwest  corner  of  the  north  half  of 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  31  two  pond-like  depressions  which,  with- 
out doubt,  are  the  remains  of  old  buffalo  wallows. 

In  the  pioneer  days  of  the  white  man  in  Wethersfield  township  the  deer, 
the  wolf,  and  the  fox  were  common.  Men  who  were  here  in  the  50's  tell  of 
often  seeing  from  two  to  a  dozen  deer  at  a  time  upon  the  prairie  land  of 
the  township. 

For  several  weeks  during  the  fall  V-shaped  flocks  of  ducks  and  geese 
could  be  seen  daily  on  their  way  southward.  In  the  spring  flocks  of  these 
same  fowls  often  came  down  in  the  new-sown  wheat  fields  to  feed  upon  the 
uncovered  wheat  or  upon  the  corn  that  had  been  left  in  the  field  from  the 
preceding  crop.  Sometimes  five  hundred  or  a  thousand  geese  could  be  seen 
feeding  at  daybreak  in  a  single  forty-acre  field. 

Flocks  of  wild  pigeons  were'  so  numerous  that  during  their  migrations 
they  oftened  darkened  the  sun.  Prairie  chickens  could  be  seen  in  flocks 
numbering  from  one  hundred  to*  one  thousand  or  more  upon  their  feeding 
grounds  in  spring,  and  the  whistle  of  the  quail  could  be  heard  throughout 
the  year. 

Since  the  draining  of  the  ponds  and  sloughs  the  wild  geese  and  the 
wild  ducks  have  taken  other  courses  in  their  migrations.  Seldom  is  a  flock 
of  either  seen  feeding  in  a  Wethersfield  field. 

Not  a  single  descendant  of  the  wild  pigeon,  which  once  flew  over  this 
region  in  countless  numbers,  is  left.     The  prairie  chicken  and  the  quail  are 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


rapidly  disappearing  and  it  will  be  but  a  few  years  before  they,  like  the 
buffalo,  the  elk  and  the  beaver  will  have  disappeared  forever  from  the 
locality. 

The  quail  and  the  prairie  chicken  are  of  inestimable  value  to  the  farmer 
because  of  their  insect-eating  proclivities.  Laws  have  been  passed  to  pro- 
tect these  birds,  but  they  are  still  decreasing  in  numbers.  This  is  partic- 
ularly true  of  the  prairie  chicken.  This  bird,  which  formerly  nested  at  the 
roots  of  the  prairie  grass,  does  not  seem  able  to  meet  the  changed  condi- 
tions, due  to  the  coming  of  man.  The  quail  is  more  pliable  to  changing  con- 
ditions, and  everything  possible  should  be  done  to  protect  and  preserve  it. 


Bob  White 

Dainty  little  whistler, 

Harbinger  of  light, 
Sweet  and  clear  is  the  call 

Of  his  whi,  whi,  whi-it. 

Where  the  corn  leaves  rustle, 
Through  the   sultry  night, 

'Tis  his  voice  that  echoes 
With  a  whi,  whi,  whi-it. 

Harmless  little  creature, 

Ever  a  pretty  sight, 
Summer  days  recalling, 

With  his  whi,  whi,  whi-it. 

Listen  to  him,  one  and  all, 

Is  it  just,  is  it  right, 
That  we  harm  this  useful  bird, 

Stop  his  whi,  whi,  whi-it? 

Rather  let's  together  stand 
To  protect  our  Bob  White, 

Ere  he's  gone  forever, 
With  his  whi,  whi,  whi-it. 


Wild   Flowers 

Wild  flowers  bloomed  through  the  summer  on  the  many  fields  of  un- 
broken prairie  and  along  the  sloughs.  Cowslips,  Marsh  Marigolds,  Wild 
Pinks,  Indian  Pipes,  Blue  Vervain,  Goldenrods  and  many  others  gave  a  color 
to  the  summer  landscape  that  has  completely  vanished. 

Wild  strawberries  grew  plentifully  upon  the  prairie  hillsides,  the  sweet- 
est and  daintiest  strawberries  that  ever  reddened  the  lips  of  a  barefoot  boy. 
In  the  fall  of  the  year  the  giant  Rosinweed,  when  punctured  or  broken, 
supplied  a  gum  which  was  often  chewed  by  country  boys  and  girls. 

In  the  groves  the  Hepatica,  Blue-eyed  •  Mary,  Blood  Root,  Dogtooth 
Violet,  Wood  Violet,  Wood  Pink,  Anemone,  Dicentraj  Wild  Larkspur  and 
Wild  Columbine  blossomed  in  profusion.  Each  in  its  season  gave  a  beauty 
and  charm  which  must  forever  pass  from  the  township  unless  something  is 
done  to  prevent  the  destruction  of  the  small  acreage  of  timber  land  still 
remaining  along  Indian  creek. 


WKTHKRSFfELO     SKETCHES 


Blue-eyed    Mary 
(C.   verna) 

Where  springtime  odors  fill  the  air, 

In  woodland  dell  and  forest  glade, 
Blue-eyed  Mary  in  silence  thrives, 

Dainty  flower  of  light  and  shade. 
Innocent   of  pride  or  evil, 

Showering  sweetness  all   the  day, 
Filling  all  the  world  with  gladness, 

Blue-eyed  Mary  is  queen  of  May. 
Woodland  sprite  is  Blue-eyed  Mary, 

Robed  in  azure,  green  and  white, 
Sought  by  drowsy  humming  insects, 

From  the  morning  till  the  night. 
And  my  choice  of  all  the  flowers 

That  bedecks  the  summer  gay, 
Is  this   dainty  Blue-eyed  Mary, 

Queen  of  flowers  that  bloom  in  May. 

The  Orchard 

It  is  said  that  David  Potter,  the  father  of  Matthew  Potter,  raised  the 
first  apples  in  the  township.  Later  apple  trees  were  planted  on  every  farm, 
a  portion  of  each  being  set  apart  for  "the  orchard."  Many  of  these  trees 
came  from  the  "Willard"  nursery,  just  east  of  the  village  of  Wethersfield. 
Dr.  Hiram  Nance  set  out  an  orchard  on  every  farm  that  he  acquired.  There 
are  still  some  apple  trees  on  lots  9  and  10  of  the  original  village  of  Weth- 
ersfield that  he  set  out. 

In  the  70's  and  80's  the  orchards  of  the  township  were  bearing  plenti- 
fully. No  more  beautiful  sight  was  ever  seen  than  an  orchard  of  two 
hundred  trees  in  May,  white  with  blossoms  and  filled  with  singing  birds  and 
humming  bees — bees  that  were  eagerly  taking  the  sweets  from  every  blos- 
som and  unknowingly  distributing  pollen  from  blossom  to  blossom. 

No  man,  however  long  he  may  live,  will  ever  forget  the  fun  of  the 
search  for  the  first  ripe  apples  in  the  orchard,  nor  the  rotten  apple  fights 
with  the  neighbor  boys,  nor  the  "stomach  aches"  caused  by  eating  green 
apples  before  their  starch  had  been  changed  into  sugar.        I 

Apples  were  so  plentiful  in  those  days  that  good  winter  apples  could  be 
bought  in  barrels  at  from  twenty-five  to  fifty  cents  per  bushel,  and  cider 
apples  could  be  had  for  the  gathering.  Among  the  many  varieties  of  apples 
in  the  order  in  which  they  ripened,  were:  June  Red,  Early  Harvest,  Maiden 
Blush,  Domino,  Bellflower,  Rhode  Island  Greening,  Russet,  Willowtwig, 
Limbertwig,  Winesap,  and  Romanite. 

My  thoughts  go  back  to  the  orchard, 

I  stand  'mong  blossoms  and  trees, 
I  hear  the  songs  of  the  birds 

And  listen  to  the  hum  of  the  bees. 

The  turtle  dove's  nest  of  sticks, 

Laid  criss-cross  there  I  see, 
The  mud-daubed  nest  of  the  robin, 

In  the  crotch  of  every  tree. 

Though  far  removed  am  I 

From  orchard  and  farm  today, 
Very  well  do  I  remember 

Those  blossoms,  that  orchard  in  May! 


YVETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


Arrowheads  from   Mill   Street   Hillside 


F     '    jfl 

l   vp;  J 

[   ,v3»    11 

^F  ^B 

Mf          ^^^9 

Bf                'l£ 

'^T 

V 

^31 

Indians 


The  occurrence  of  Indian  arrowheads  in  all  parts  of  Wethersfield  town- 
ship proves  that  it  once  formed  a  part  of  the  Indian  hunting  grounds. 

In  pioneer  days  stone  arrowheads  were  frequently  found  upon  the 
prairies  and  to  this  day  they  are  turned  out  by  the  plow. 


U. 


WKTHKItSFIELl)     SKETCHES 


The  Illini,  before  their  destruction  by  the  Iroquois,  claimed  Wethers- 
field  township  as  a  part  of  their  hunting  grounds.  Later  it  was  claimed 
by  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  who  had  their  chief  settlement  on  Rock  river  in 
the  northwestern  part  of  Henry  county. 

The  chief  Indian  trail  in  Wethersfield  township  ran  almost  directly 
north  and  south  through  the  township.  This  trail  entered  the  township  a 
little  over  a  mile  from  its  southwestern  corner,  crossed  the  western  branch 
of  Indian  creek  on  section  29,  south  of  the  sand  mound  on  the  Craig  farm, 
thence  almost  directly  north  to  Blish's  woods  at  Wethersfield. 

A  few  rods  of  this  trail  can  still  be  seen  on  the  northern  slope  of  the 
hill  south  of  the  sand  mound  before  mentioned.  This  piece  of  the  trail  was 
never  plowed  up,  and  is  probably  the  only  vestige  of  an  Indian  trail  left  in 
Wethersfield  township. 

The  last  Indians  in  any  number  to  use  this  trail  was  the  band  of  the 
Winnebago  chief,  Shick-Shack,  who  in  1827  led  his  band,  consisting  of  over 
forty  men  with  their  squaws  and  children,  over  this  trail  to  Prophetstown, 
thence  to  the  Wisconsin  hill  country. 

It  is  said  on  good  authority  that  this  same  chief  was  one  of  the  friendly 
Winnebagoes  who  helped  to  place  Black  Hawk  in  the  hands  of  the  United 
States  troops  after  that  chief's  escape  at  the  battle  of  Bad  Axe,  August  2, 
1832. 

As  late  as  1857  Indians  used  to  camp  in  the  grove  that  stood  on  the 
Robb  place  on  section  28.  This  used  to  be  a  favorite  camping  place.  There 
were  plenty  of  fish  in  Indian  creek,  and  wild  plums,  crab  apples  and  grapes 
grew  in  abundance  upon  the' banks  of  that  stream. 

Indian  arrowheads  found  along  the  slough  south  of  Mill  street  prove 
that  this  locality  was  at  one  time  occupied  by  Indians.  Some  of  these  arrow 
heads  are  made  from  stone  not  native  to  Illinois,  but  of  stone  obtained  from 
widely  separated  regions. 

The  slope  south  of  Division  street,  between  Tenney  and  Hollis  streets, 
was  an  ideal  camping  ground.  Barren  Grove  protected  the  wigwams  from 
the  storms  which  swept  down  from  the  northwest.  The  springs  along  the 
slough  furnished  water  for  both  man  and  beast,  and  the  prairie  off  to  the 
east,  south  and  west  furnished  plenty  of  game  for  hunting. 


The    First    Tavern 


WETHERSEIELP     SKETCHES 11 

Origin    and    Early    History 

Dr.  Caleb  J.  Tenney  of  Wethersfield,  Connecticut,  was  the  originator  of 
the  Wethersfield  colony.  Through  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Tenney  a  meeting 
was  held  in  the  vestry  of  the  Congregational  church  at  Wethersfield,  Con- 
necticut, in  the  fall  of  1835.  At  this  meeting  the  idea  of  a  western  settle- 
ment took  tangible  shape  and  a  later  meeting  was  arranged  for  February 
15,  1836. 

On  that  date  about  a  dozen  men  met  at  the  place  of  the  previous  meet- 
ing to  further  discuss  the  matter.  From  this  meeting  sprang  the  Connec- 
ticut Association,  which  formed  a  little  settlement  upon  the  prairies  of  Illi- 
nois that  in  eighty-eight  years  has  become  a  city  of  nearly  twenty  thousand 
people. 

Present  at  this  meeting,  on  February  15,  1836,  were  Caleb  J.  Tenney, 
Chester  Bulkley,  Elisha  Wolcott,  Archibald  Welch,  Gordon  H.  Montague, 
Alfred  Glinn,  Henry  G.  Little  and  Merritt  Butler,  all  of  Wethersfield;  Rev. 
John  Marsh,  of  Philadelphia;  Rev.  Ralph  Emerson,  of  Andover;  William 
Wheeler,  of  Milford;  Rev.  Harvey  Talcott,  of  Chatham,  and  Sullivan  Howard, 
of  Madison.    Chester  Bulkley  was  chosen  treasurer  and  Dr.  Welch  secretary. 

In  a  set  of  regulations  adopted  at  this  meeting,  the  purpose  of  the 
Connecticut  Association  was  set  forth  as  follows:  "The  undersigned,  having 
in  view  the  establishment  of  a  colony  for  promoting  the  cause  of  education 
and  piety  in  the  state  of  Illinois  or  vicinity,  and  the  increase  of  our  doing 
good,  do  mutually  agree  to  associate  for  the  attainment  of  these  objects." 

The  stockholders  provided  for  a  standing  committee  of  seven,  four  of 
whom  were  to  be  actual  residents.  This  committee  was  to*  be  the  govern- 
ing body  of  the  proposed  settlement  and  were  to  perform  the  functions 
of  town  selectmen,  and  perhaps  of  the  other  officers.  A  literary  institute 
was  also  contemplated  under  the  control  of  a  self-perpetuating  board  of 
eleven  members  (including  the  pastor  of  the  church  yet  to  be  established). 

The  company  styled  itself  the  "Connecticut  Association."  The  original 
stockholders,  later  increased  by  forty-seven  others,  resided  in  the  New 
England  or  Middle  Atlantic  states.  Fully  one-fourth  of  the  stockholders 
were  ministers  of  the  gospel.  Several  of  them  were  wealthy  men.  John 
Marsh  was  a  great  temperance  advocate.  Gardner  Spring  was  at  the  head 
of  one  of  the  great  New  York  City  churches.  Payson  and  Tenney  were 
noted  divines  of  that  day. 

Thirty-seven  articles  of  agreement  were  signed  by  the  stockholders.  The 
stock  of  the  association  was  valued  at  $250.00  per  share.  During  the  winter 
of  1835-36  one  hundred  shares  were  taken,  and  $25,000  paid  into  the  treasury. 
Late  in  February,  1836,  a  committee  consisting  of  Col.  Sylvester  Blish,  Rev. 
Ithamar  Pillsbury  and  Elizur  Goodrich,  a  surveyor,  was  appointed  to  go  to 
Illinois  and  select  land. 

The  route  of  these  men  was  by  the  way  of  Baltimore,  over  the  Alle- 
ghanies  to  Wheeling,  down  the  Ohio  river  by  steamboat,  up  the  Mississippi 
and  Illinois  rivers  to  Peoria,  thence  to  Knoxville,  Henderson  Grove,  and 
Andover.  From  Andover  they  footed  it  to  Barren  Grove,  where  they  camped 
while  selecting  the  company's  land. 

In  1836  this  committee  entered  ninety-nine  quarter  sections  of  land. 
About  half  of  this  land  lay  in  Wethersfield  township,  the  rest  in  Kewanee 
township.  The  first  entry  was  made  May  7,  1836.  Another  quarter  section 
was  purchased  later.  This  brought  the  total  of  the  company's  lands  up  to 
16,000  acres,  part  prairie  and  part  timber  land.  Most  of  the  timber  land 
lay  in  Kewanee  township. 

The  purchase  was  made  of  the  government  by  Goodrich  and  Blish,  who 
deeded  the  land  in  trust  to  Chester  Bulkley,  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 


11' 


WETH  ERSE  I  ELI  >     SK  ETCHES 


association.  Bulkley,  and  after  five  years,  Samuel  Galpin,  who  became  sec- 
retary and  treasurer,  deeded  the  land  toi  individual  members  of  the  associa- 
tion or  to  others  who  purchased  company  lands. 


Kilvington     Cabin 


After  the  committee  of  purchase  had  returned  and  reported  their  doings 
to  the  association,  Rev.  Joseph  Goodrich,  John  F.  Willard  and  Henry  G. 
Little  were  appointed  to  proceed  to  the  colony  lands  and  to  survey  and  lay 
out  a  town  plat  and  to  divide  the  timber  land  into  lots  of  twenty  acres  each. 

Mr.  Willard  and  Mr.  Little  reached  the  colony  lands  on  November  11, 
1836.  John  Kilvington  had  recently  erected  a  log  cabin  northeast  of  the 
proposed  colony.  Mr.  Willard  and  Mr.  Little  stayed  with  him  a  few  days 
and  then,  being  unable  to  obtain  the  county  surveyor,  returned  to  French 
Grove  in  Peoria  county. 

Here  they  secured  the  services  of  Surveyor  Nelson  Simons  and  returned 
to  the  site  of  the  colony,  accompanied  by  John  F.  Willard,  William  Wheeler, 
William  T.  Little,  Sullivan  Howard  and  Simeon  B.  Stoddard.  The  17th  and 
18th  of  November  were  spent  in  surveying.  Late  on  the  18th  all  except 
Willard  went  to  Faker's  Grove  for  the  winter. 

Mr.  Willard  started  a  cabin,  the  first  house  to  be  erected  on  the  com- 
pany's lands,  and  the  first  building  to  be  erected  in  Westersfield.  For  two 
weeks,  while  building  it,  he  walked  morning  and  night  from  the  Kilvington 
cabin.  During  the  following  winter,  Mr.  Willard,  Nathan  Butler  and  Joseph 
Goodrich  lived  in  Mr.  Willard's  cabin.  Sullivan  Howard  built  the  first 
frame  house  in  the  colony.  He  was  a  carpenter  by  trade.  He  hauled  the 
lumber  for  his  house  from  a  sawmill  on  Spoon  river  seventy  miles  away. 
His  house  was  built  in  the  spring  of  1837. 

In  the  set  of  "Regulations"  of  the  association  it  was  provided  that  a  full 
section  of  land  to  be  paid  for  out  of  reserve  funds,  should  be  set  apart  for 
public  use,  distributed  as  follows:  There  shall  be  a  public  square  of  ten 
acres   in   the  center,   and   the   remainder  shall   be  divided   into  squares   of 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 13 

forty  rods  each,  to  be  sub-divided  into  lots  of  twenty  rods  containing  two 
and  one-half  acres  each;  and  the  lots  contiguous  to  the  public  square  shall 
be  divided  into  smaller  building  lots,  and  such  number  of  the  larger  lots 
as  the  association  may  direct  shall  be  apportioned  to  public  purposes. 

In  April  of  1837  the  committee  appointed  to  lay  out  the  village  lot  and 
to  divide  the  timber  land  into  twenty-acre  lots  obtained  the  services  of 
County  Surveyor  Seymour.  A  village  was  laid  out  on  the  west  half  of 
section  3,  and  east  half  of  section  4,  in  township  No.  14  north,  range  5,  east 
of  the  Fourth  Principal  Meridian.  This  village  plot  lay  at  about  the  middle 
of  the  colony  lands. 

Originally  the  shares  of  the  association  consisted,  in  land,  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  prairie  land,  twenty  acres  of  timber  land  and  a  town 
lot  of  two  and  one-half  acres.  It  was  the  intention  of  the  company  to  sell 
shares  of  land  and  lots  at  public  sale,  the  highest  bidder  to  have  first 
choice;   the  next  highest  bidder  the  second  choice,  etc. 

This  plan  however  was  soon  dropped  and  as  an  inducement  for  mem- 
bers of  the  association  and  for  those  who  might  buy  of  them  to  go  and 
settle  the  lands,  each  settler  was  allowed  to  select  his  location  from 
alternate  quarter  sections.  Taking  a  share  in  land  operated  to  close  the 
connection  of  that  member  with  the  company. 

In  laying  out  the  village,  symmetry  of  form  was  obtained  by  dividing 
the  "village  section"  into  squares  of  forty  rods  each  by  roads  six  rods 
wide;  and  no  house  was  to  be  built  less  than  thirty  feet  from  public  streets 
without  special  permission.  Around  the  entire  village  a  public  highway  four 
rods  wide  was  planned. 

Original  Survey  of  the  Village  of  Wethersfield 

The  town  of  Wethersfield  is  laid  off  on  the  east  half  of  section  four 
(4)  and  west  half  of  section  three  (3)  in  township  No.  fourteen  (14) 
north,  range  five  (5)  East,  in  Henry  county,  State  of  Illinois  for  Chester 
Bulkley  and  John  W.  Wells,  acting  agents  for  the  association,  in  April 
A.   D.  1837. 

The  lots  are  all  twenty  (20)  rods  square  except  the  north  lots  on  the 
north  tier  of  blocks  which  are  fractional  and  lots  No.  1,  2,  3,  8,  9,  10, 
39,  40,  41  and  42  next  to  and  east  of  the  public  square  and  lots  11,  12, 
13,  18,  19,  20,  35,  36,  37  and  38  next  to  and  south  of  the  public  square  and 
lots  21,  22,  23,  28,  29,  30,  31,  32,  33  and  34  next  and  west  of  the  public 
square,  which  are  four  (4)  rods  wide  and  twelve  (12)  rods  long,  and 
lots  4,  5,  6,  7,  14,  15,  16,  17,  24,  25,  26,  27,  in  the  same  blocks  are  four 
(4)  rods  wide  and  twenty  (20)  rods  long.  The  streets  are  all  six  (6) 
rods  wide  except  South,  East  and  West  streets,  which  are  four  (4)  rods 
wide,  and  North  street,  which  is  two  (2)  rods  wide. 

The  public  square  is  forty  (40)  rods  square  and  a  stone  is  planted 
at  its  northeast  corner. — Abraham  Seymour,  County  Surveyor. 

From  north  to  south  the  streets  running  east  and  west  were  named  as 
follows:  North  street,  Mill  street,  Church  street,  North  Main  street,  South 
Main  street,  College  street  and  South  street.  From  east  to  west  the  streets 
running  north  and  south  were:  East  street,  Edwards  street,  Dwight  street, 
Willard  street,  Tenney  street,  Hollis  street,  Payson  street  and  West  street. 

North  street  has  since  been  changed  to  Division  street,  North  Main 
street  to  McClure  street  and  South  Main  street  to  Garfield  street.  Several 
of  these  streets  were  named  after  men  famous  in  their  day.  Edwards  and 
Dwight  were  presidents  of  Yale  College.  Payson  and  Tenney  were  min- 
isters having  national  reputations.  Tenney  will  be  remembered  as  insti- 
gator of  the  colony. 


14 AVETH  KKSF1KLD     SKETCHES 

If  an  individual  was  unwilling  to  pay  the  amount  asked  for  any  certain 
share  he  could  have  the  privilege  of  putting  the  same  land  up  at  auction 
to  the  company  and  the  price  at  auction  should  be  the  price  of  the  property. 

The  building  sites  near  the  public  square  not  required  for  public  uses 
and  the  needs  of  the  promotors  were  to  be  sold  at  auction  and  the  avails  of 
the  sales  set  aside  for  the  founding  of  a  "Manual  of  Labor  Academy." 
The  proceeds  from  the  sales  of  other  lands  held  in  common  were  to  be  used 
also  for  this  purpose  and  for  making  roads  and  building  bridges  and  mills. 

A  village  lot  was  to  be  set  aside  for  the  "meeting  house"  and  parsonage, 
the  religious  denomination  of  which  was  to  be  decided  by  the  association 
later;  and  it  was  further  stipulated  that  the  "trustees  or  committee  of 
the  congregation  shall  hold  all  the  lots  given  to  public  purposes  except 
those  given  to  the  academy,  which  shall  be  held  by  the  trustees  of  the 
institution." 

To  the  originators  of  the  Connecticut  Association  the  lands  of  Illinois 
seemed  specially  well  suited  to  the  successful  operation  of  their  undertaking. 
The  successful  outcome  of  the  Black  Hawk  war  had  opened  up  to  the  settlers 
the  whole  northern  part  of  the  state  with  its  excellent  soil.  Improvements 
had  already  been  begun  which  promised  much  to  the  immigrants.  Claims 
were  rapidly  being  taken  up. 

Illinois  had  been  a  state  eighteen  years  and  already  had  a  population  of 
300,000,  though  Chicago  with  its  four  thousand  inhabitants,  had  not  yet 
become  a  city.  The  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal  project  gave  an  impetus 
to  immigration. 

A  meeting  held  at  Wethersfield,  Conn.,  July  13,  1836,  which  the  records 
say  "was  opened  with  prayer,"  received  the  Prudential  committee's  report. 
A  balance  of  over  $5,000  was  returned  to  the  treasurer.  At  a  special  meet- 
ing, August  9,  1836,  it  was  voted  to  suspend  the  rule  as  to  distribution  by 
lot  and  to  hold  all  purchases  in  common.  Actual  settlers,  however,  were  to 
be  allowed  to  select  under  restrictions,  their  own  sites  for  dwellings. 

The  standing  committee  which  was  to  be  the  governing  board  of  the 
colony  was  increased  to  nine,  five  of  whom  were  to  be  residents  of  the  east. 
This  committee  as  newly  constituted  consisted  of  Bulkley,  Tenney,  Welch, 
Riddel,  Pillsbury  and  James  Lockwood  Belden. 

These  men  had  the  power  to  select  the  remaining  three  members  from 
the  west.  They  were  authorized  to  buy  and  sell  land  and  to  cause  the 
erection  of  mills,  a  public  house  and  brickyard;  to  build  an  academy  and  to 
make  all  the  other  necessary  improvements,  "with  reasonable  regard  to 
the  profits  of  the  stockholders." 

The  $5,000  turned  back  to  the  association  by  the  Prudential  committee 
was  appropriated  to  build  a  steam  saw  and  grist  mill.  The  mills  were 
located  upon  the  land  described  as  follows:  Beginning  at  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  lot  36;  thence  east  7  ch.  and  8  1.;  thence  northeasterly  88  1.  to  a 
point  8  ch.  and  20  1.  from  the  west  line  of  said  lot;  thence  north  to  the 
north  line  of  said  lot;  thence  west  to>  the  northwest  corner  of  said  lot; 
thence  south  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

The  work  was  commenced  in  the  summer  of  1837.  The  sawmill  was 
at  work  in  January  of  1838  and  the  grist  mill  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year. 
William  Howard  was  the  engineer  and  Arthur  Thornton  was  the  first  miller. 

It  was  the  intention  of  the  company  to  sell  the  mills  after  they  were 
in  operation  and  to  use  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  in  the  establishing  of  an 
academy  in  the  colony.  It  was  found,  however,when  the  mills  were  com- 
pleted that  besides  the  $5,000  appropriated,  the  company  was  $4,000  in  debt 
and  it  was  impossible  to  find  anyone  who  would  invest  $9,000  in  such 
property. 


\v i<:t units f 1 1-: u »    s k \<:t<  : 1 1  es 


if, 


©2E0«4S9 


The  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Connecticut  Association  was  held  at  the  Vestry,  in  Wetherefield,  on  the 
17th  of  August,  1337.  James  L.  Bem>en,  Esq.,  was  appointed  Moderator,  and  Archibald  Wxicn,  Secretary. 
.  The  Report  of  the  Standing  Committee  was  read,  accepted,  and  ordered  to  be  placed  upon  record.  Tin' 
Report  of  the  Treasurer  was  read,  accepted,  and  ordered  to  be  placed  on  file. 

Chester  Bulkley.  Caleb 'J.  Tenney,  Archibald  Welch,  James  L.  Belderi,  Samuel  II.  Riddel,  and  Iihamar 
IMsbury,  were  appointed  a  Standing  Committee. 

Resolved,  That  a  Cibcclas,  containing  the  proceedings  of  the  meeting,  and  an  abstract  of  the  Report  of 
the  Committee,  be  printed  and  forwarded  to  each  of  the  Stockholders. 

Resolved,  That  the  Standing  Committee  !>e  authorized,  in  all  conveyances  of  land  to  purchasers  and  to 
Stockholders,  to  reserve  for  the  benefit  of  the  Company,  the  right  to  threo-fourths  of  all  the  Coal  Mines  and 
other  minerals,  and  Stone  Quarrii  s,  and  fill)  right  to  work  them,  except  in  the  case  of  the  four  first  sales. 

Required,  That  the  period  during  which  Stockholders  (who  become  settlers,)  might  select  their  own  quarter 
sections.  He  extended  from  the  rir^t  of  August  to  the  first  of  nest  September. 

Reared,  That  such  Stockholders  as  may  desire  to  become  actual  settlers,  after  the  first  day  of  next 
September,  and  before  the  first  day  of  August,  18^8, may  select  their  farms  by  their  own  choice,  on  rendition 
that  tin  \  make  taich  per  ernt,  advance  pa\incnt  upon  the  original  price  of  a  share,  as  the  Committee  shall 
podge  right,  and  also  choose  their  farms  in  the  present  course  of  regular  alternation,  and  before  one  half 
the  purchase  !»■  taken  tip. 

Resolved,  That  the  next  Annual  Meeting  be  held  at  Wethersfield,  on  the  first  Thursday  of  September, 
1SSS',  at  10  o'clock,  A.  M. 

ARCHIBALD  WELCH,  Secretary, 


REMARKS. 

v 

Four  quarter  sections  and  one-eighth  have  been  sold,  with  eighty  acres  of  timber  land,  and  eleven  and  s 
quarter  acres  of  village  lots  ;  the  cost  of  which  was  to  the  Company  eleven  hundred  and  eleven  dollars,  and 
the  amount  in  sale  was  two  thousand  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  dollars.  An  agreement  has,  in  all  cases, 
been  made  with  the  purchaser,  that  he  shall  become  an  actual  settler  within  the  time  specified,  and  conform  to 
the  moral  rules  and  objects  of  tbe  Association.  Sixteen  and  one-eighth  quartt  r  sections  have  been  taken  up  by 
five  purchasers  and  twelve  Stockholders,  •"T^erfW^forW  ifflmMM  now  Ln  the  Township,  "and  three  Mrf 
will  soon  be  added.  Several  log  cabins  and  two  or  three  Coarse  framed  houses  have  been  erected.  The 
character  and  conduct  of  the  settlers,  and  their  confidence  of  success,  are  believed  to  be  worthy  of  the  object, 
and  well  calculated  to  give  a  healthful  character  to -the  settlement,  Several  of  the  settlers  are  professors  of 
religion,  and  uniformly  maintain  social  worship  upon  the  Sabbath.  The  Missionary  Society  of  Connecticut 
has  commissioned  the  Rev.  Ithamar  Pilsbury  to  labor  there  half  the  time  during  the  present  year. 

One  quarter  section  has  been  purchased  since  the  first  contract,  because  it  contained  an  extensive  Bed  of 
coal.     There  is  one  other  rich  bed  of  coal,  and  indications  of  it  in  various  places  in  the  township. 

The  Village  is  laid  out,  and  contains  16-1  Village  Lots,  20  of  which  are  nocded  for  public  uses,  and  85  for 
the  quarter  sections. 

As  coal  is  abundant  and  water  power  is  wanting,  the  Committee  have  engaged  a  steam  engine,  which  is  to 

be  completed  by  the  first  of  October,  and  will  be  put  in  operation  during  nest  autumn,  or  early  in  the  spring, 

and  is  of  sufficient  power  to  carry  one  saw  and  two  run  of  stones.     The  cost  of  the  engiue,  with  three 

boilers,  and  all  the  necessary  apparatus,  will  be  $2550.    The  cost  of  the  mills,  when  completed,  will  bj 

.  about  §6000. 

The  committee  express  their  »  strong  persuasion,  that  thus  far  the  hand  of  Providence  has  favored,  equal 
to  their  fullest  expectation,  the  enterprise  of  the  Association,  to  increase  their  own  means  of  usefulness,  and 
of  promoting  Education,  Temperance,  and  Protestant  Christianity  in  the  West.'?  - 7| 


Circular    (1837) 


16 AVKTU  KKSF1KLD     SKRTCHIOS 

The  company  kept  the  mills  for  seven  years  during  which  the  following 
men  were  millers:  H.  G.  Little,  William  Howard,  William  Weeks,  Sylvanus 
and  Isaac  Ferris,  Windsor  and  Leonard  Smith.  The  mills  not  paying,  the 
company  then  sold  them  to  Jeduthan  Hubbard  for  $2,000,  at  a  loss  of  $7,000. 
Hubbard  sold  the  mill  stones  to  a  miller  on  Spoon  river  below  Rochester 
and  took  the  engine  and  saw  to<  Farmington  where  a  saw  mill  was  erected. 
This  ended  the  project  of  an  academy  by  the  company. 

From  time  to  time  the  little  colony  received  additional  members.  By 
the  end  of  1838  it  had  a  population  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  people.  More 
houses  had  been  built  and  crops  had  been  planted  on  two  hundred  and  fifty- 
acres.  A  circular  issued  by  the  association  for  the  benefit  of  intended 
purchasers  in  the  east  declared  that  the  settlement  was  a  community  of 
working  men  and  a  temperance  community.  A  grist  and  sawmill  were  in 
operation.  Religious  worship  was  maintained  regularly  on  the  Sabbath, 
a  minister  from  the  Connecticut  Missionary  Society  filling  the  pulpit  about 
one-third  of  the  time. 

At  the  annual  meeting  in  1839  the  standing  committee  presented  a 
report  of  the  threee  year's  progress  of  the  colony.  There  were  about 
twenty-two  families,  twenty  to  thirty  buildings  including  a  log  meeting 
house  where  the  missionary  Rev.  William  Vaill  labored  two-thirds  of  the 
year,  a  young  peoples'  lyceum,  a  school  house  open  three  months  in  the 
winter  and  spring  and  a  steam  mill. 

Financially  considered,  the  undertaking  was  apparently  a  success,  the 
assets  being  estimated  at  $6584.77,  the  liabilities  $4,462.00.  "The  settlers," 
says  the  year's  report,  "have  been  industrious  and  temperate  and  have 
borne  with  fortitude  the  privations  unavoidable  to  a  new  settlement.  They 
have  been  eminently  blessed  with  health  and  have  none  of  them  been 
removed  by  death." 

During  1839  considerable  expenditure  had  been  made  in  the  anticipation 
of  a  rapid  growth  in  the  settlement  which  later  events  did  not  justify  and 
the  early  hopes  of  gain  from  a  financial  standpoint  were  held  in  check. 
During  1840  less  than  a  section  of  land  was  sold  by  the  association.  How- 
ever, the  chief,  though  not  the  avowed  objects  of  the  movements  were  not 
lost  sight  of,  for  in  the  report  for  1840  the  committee  expressed  the 
opinion,  "That  the  undertaking  will  not  prove  unprofitable  and  that  the 
promotion  of  the  cause  of  education  and  piety  in  the  state  of  Illinois  and 
the  increase  of  our  means  of  doing  good,  will,  under  the  guidance  of  Him 
who  superintends  all  events,  be  ultimately  realized. 

By  the  fall  of  1841,  of  the  original  purchase,  eighteen  and  one-half 
quarter  sections  had  been  taken  up  by  the  stockholders,  and  nine  were 
sold.  The  progress  of  the  colony  was  not  assured  however,  and  from  that 
time  it  would  appear  that  the  altruistic  motives  which  were  constantly 
reiterated  as  the  primary  incentive  were  not  to  be  continued  at  a  pecuniary 
sacrifice  to  the  astute  business  men  in  Connecticut.  Yet,  that  year  the 
report  of  the  committee  states  that,  "The  colony  is  in  a  prosperous  condi- 
tion despite  the  fact  that  the  association  was  in  debt  $3,000  against  which 
notes  presumably  against  the  settlers  were  held  as  assets  to  about  the  same 
amount. 

In  September,  1842,  it  was  the  unanimous  opinion  of  the  stockholders 
of  the  association  as  expressed  in  conference  assembled,  that  their  in- 
dividual interests  and  the  interests  of  the  colony  would  be  promoted  by 
levying  a  tax  for  the  payment  of  the  whole  debt  against  the  company  and 
making  an  immediate  distribution  of  the  property  held  in  common.  At  two 
meetings  held  in  1842  steps  were  taken  toward  closing  up  the  affairs  of 
the  association  and  various  propositions  for  the  disposal  of  the  lands  were 
discussed. 


WETHIOKSFIKIJ)     SKKTCHKS 17 

The  original  quantity  of  land,  to  which  each  share  entitled  a  holder 
was  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  prairie,  twenty  acres  of  timber  and 
one  town  lot.  But  so  much  of  the  land  had  been  sold  to  meet  the  indebt- 
edness of  the  company,  that  by  1848  when  a  division  of  the  company's  land 
was  made,  a  little  more  than  eighty  acres  of  prairie  land  remained  to  each 
share  with  the  timber  and  town  lots. 

The  difficulty  of  selling  crops  so  far  from  markets  and  the  slow  sales 
of  the  company's  lands  caused  financial  difficulties  and  in  ,1848  the  lands 
still  in  possession  of  the  association,  some  forty-two  quarter  sections,  were 
advertised  for  sale.  It  was  during  this  period  that  some  individuals  claim 
that  one  of  the  advertisements  showed  a  picture  of  the  mills  with  the 
slough  enlarged  to  the  size  of  a  river.  A  steamboat  was  seen  plying  upon 
the  river  carrying  products  to  the  four  corners  of  the  earth. 

The  writer  made  several  trips  to  Wethersfield,  Conn.,  hoping  to  find 
this  advertisement.  He  succeeded  in  finding  the  sale  bills  advertising  the 
colony  lands  in  Illinois,  but  the  wonderful  advertisement  of  Spoon  river's 
steamboat  was  not  among  them.  He  also  talked  with  descendants  of  the 
promoters  of  the  colony.  These  people  had  in  their  possession  much  data 
relating  to  the  Wethersfield  colony  in  Illinois,  but  none  of  them  had  ever 
seen  such  an  advertisment. 

Some  twenty-five  years  ago,  the  writer  also  talked  with  many  old 
settlers  of  Wethersfield  and  Kewanee.  Among  these  were  William  Goodrich, 
William  Kent  and  Jas.  K.  Blish,  the  latter  of  whom  knew  more  of  the 
history  of  the  Wethersfield  colony  than  any  other  man  of  his  time.  None 
of  these  old  settlers  had  ever  seen  such  an  advertisement.  There  are 
several  ways  in  which  the  impression  of  such  an  advertisement  might  rise: 

First:  The  sale  of  colony  lands  was  advertised  in  a  Hartford,  Con- 
necticut paper.  The  old  files  of  this  paper  show  the  advertisement.  On 
the  same  page  there  were  several  pictures  of  steamboats.  It  may  have 
been  a  sight  of  this  paper  from  which  the  story  was  created.  ,  Second:  On 
some  of  the  paper  sacks  in  which  the  products  of  the  mill  were  distributed 
was  a  picture  of  a  sail  boat  and  the  name  and  location  of  the  mill.  This 
may  have  been  the  origin  of  the  story. 

The  slough  which  runs  parallel  with  Mill  street  and  upon  which  stood 
the  mill  of  the  colony  is  the  beginning  of  Indian  creek  which  flows  south 
and  empties  into  Spoon  river.  Speculators  may  have  advertised  lands 
upon  the  banks  of  Spoon  river  in  the  aforesaid  manner.  If  so,  there  is 
probably  such  an  advertisement  in  existence,  and  one  may  come  to  light 
some  day.  But  when  it  does,  if  ever,  it  will  be  found  that  the  settlers  of 
Wethersfield  colony  did  not  sponsor  the  advertisement. 

The  possessions  of  the  company  had  been  offered  for  sale  frequently 
during  the  years  between  1842-47.  On  November  23,  1847,  the  sale  of  the 
assets  of  the  company  at  public  auction  was  authorized.  Early  in  the 
year  following,  bills  with  the  heading  "Farms  in  Illinois"  were  posted  in 
Wethersfield,  Conn,  and  vicinity,  announcing  the  sale  at  auction  of  all 
lands  held  by  the  expiring  Connecticut  association.  February  16,  1848,  was 
the  date  set,  and  Fessenden's  hotel  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  was  the  place  of  sale. 

However,  the  auction  of  the  company's  belongings  never  took  place 
for  on  the  day  before  the  time  set  for  the  sale,  the  association  met  and 
indefinitely  postponed  the  sale,  adopting  instead  a  plan  by  which  each 
stockholder  was  assessed  $28  on  each  share,  for  the  purpose  of  liquidating 
all  debts.  On  Tuesday,  March  7,  1848,  at  the  home  of  the  treasurer, 
Dr.  Welch,  a  final  distribution  of  the  property  was  made  by  lot,  under  the 
direction  of  a  committee  consisting  of  Chester  Bulkley,  John  Hammer  and 
John  Francis. 
A  copy  of  the  bill  is  here  given: 


18 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


FORTY-TWO  FARMS,  each  containing  One  Hundred  and 

Sixty  Acres  of  PRAIItJH,  Twenty  of  TmilKIt,  and  a  Village  Lot  of  Two  and 

a  half  acres,  will  be  offered  for  sale,' at  PUBLIC  AUCTION,  by  the  Committee 
of  the  "Connecticut  •fosoeiation"  at  .llr.  K.  FESSEIVDEITS  Hotel,  in  the  city  of 
1L1RTFOR1),  Conn.,  on  the  Kith  hist.,  at  10  o'clock,  A.  Si. 

These  Farms  are  in  \\*<tlttrxfi<hl.  Henry  County,  Illinois.  The  settlement  was 
commenced  in  1830,  and  the  number  of  inhabitants  belonging  to  the  colony  is,  Three 
Hundred  and  Seventy-eight,  und  in  the  immediate  vicinity  on  the  north  side  of  the" 
Timber  land,  the  number  of  inhabitants  is  about  the  same. 

Three  Thousand  Three  Hundred  and  Four  Acres  are  inclosed,  of  which  Two 
Thousand  Seven  Hundred  and  Thirty-six,  are  improved. 

In  1847,  4;2?o"  bushels  of  Wheat,  415^0  bushels  of  Corn,  and  8420  bushels  of 
Oats  were  raised.  There  arc  in  the  settlement,  Sixty-eight  Houses,  Sixty-two  Sta- 
bles and  Barns,  One  Thousand  Cattle,  Two  Hundred  and  Ten  Horses,  Seven  Hun- 
dred Sheep,  and  Two  Thousand  Four  Hundred  and  Nine  Swine.  There  are  two 
Churches,  one  Store,  and  three  Smiths'  Shops. 

The  township  is  peculiarly  favorable  to  health.  It  was  originally  purchased  by  an 
association  of  gentlemen,  and  the  unappropriated  portion  is  now  offered  for  sale  to 
close  the  concern. 

Fifty  VILLAGE  LOTS  will  be  offered  for  sale  at  the  same  time. 

The  Terms  will  be  made  known  at  the  time  of  s  ;le. 


\Vctker*jidd,  Feb.  %  1848. 


JL  WELCH,  Secretary 

Connecticut  Association 


NOTE. — The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  letter  from  a  clergyman  residing  ih  the  township : — 
"It  is  beautiful  for  situation— the  Prairie  is  just  rolling  enough— water  is  abundant  and  of  excellent  quality 
— coal,  stone,  and  oak  timber  sufficient  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  inhabitants.  It  is  acknowledged,  and  has 
been  proved  to  be,  one  of  the  healthiest  locations  in  all  the  west,  It  has  a  good  neighborhood,  and  few  places 
are  more  moral,  or  enjoy  more  quiet  and  peaceful  Sabbaths.  This  region  iv?  sixty  miles  around  is  preferable 
for  farming  to  Indiana,  Michigan,  Wisconsin  or  Iowa.  The  land  is  easier  cultivated  than  either' of  the  above 
named  places.  The  soil  is  deeper  and  stronger.  For  good  roads.no  part  of  the. West  will  bear  comparison 
with  this.  I  know  of  no  place  in  the  West  where  the  prospect  is  fairer  for  a  young  man  who  wishes  to  fine] 
a  good  location." 


Wmm»mmm>^^^     '" 


Auction    Bill 


Colony    Lands    in    1848 

The  following  map  shows  the  colony  lands  at  the  time  the  Connecticut 
association  closed  up  its  affairs  in  1848.  The  darkened  squares  and  rec- 
tangles show  the  land  taken  by  the  stockholders  or  sold  to  other  parties. 
The  light  squares  with  numbers  show  the  quarter  sections  of  land  not  sold, 
the  smaller  light  rectangles  show  the  timber  lots  unsold.  The  small  dark 
squares  show  the  position  of  the  houses. 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


1!) 


The  very  faint  irregular  line  from  the  north  east,  passing  down  and 
westerly  through  the  southern  part  of  section  31,  shows  the  southern 
boundary  of  Barren  Grove.  This  grove  was  originally  fifteen  miles  long 
and  six  miles  wide.  It  covered  what  later  became  the  city  of  Kewanee, 
extending  southward  to  Mill  street. 

Square  No.  100  was  the  last  quarter  section  bought  by  the  association. 
It  was  purchased  because  it  was  supposed  to  have  coal  upon  it.  It  seems 
that  no  coal  has  ever  been  mined  from  it,  though  considerable  coal  has 
been  taken  from  section  19  which  lies  south  and  west  of  this  quarter  section. 


WETHERSFIELD,  HENfiY    Co. ILLINOIS 


4  i]      *'~f*~  I     jJu 


Some  thirty  years  ago  the  original  land  grants  of  the  association,  signed 
by  President  Tyler,  were  found  in  a  Wethersfield,  Conn.,  attic.  These  were 
sent  by  Albert  Galpin,  town  clerk  at  Wethersfield,  Connecticut,  to  Cam- 
bridge, Illinois,  the  county  seat  of  the  western  colony. 

With  the  meeting  of  March  7,  1848,  the  Connecticut  association  ceased 
to  exist  and  the  little  colony  upon  the  western  prairies  was  left  to  make 
its  own  future  history. 


20 WETHERSFIEE1>     SKETCHES 

The    Prairies 

When  the  first  white  man  saw  Wethersfield  township,  the  whole  of 
it,  except  the  groves  along  the  streams,  was  covered  with  "prairie"  grass. 
This  grass,  which  produced  no  seed,  sprang  up  with  each  recurring  season. 
By  what  process  in  the  remote  past  the  land  was  seeded  is  not  known.  The 
grass  had  wonderful  vitality  and  in  places  it  stood  as  high  as  the  back 
of  a  horse. 

Wild  flowers  bloomed  throughout  the  summer  amid  the  waving  prairie 
grass,  not  only  on  the  higher  land  but  along  the  sloughs.  Cowslips,  Marsh 
Marigolds,  Blue  Vervains,  Goldenrods,  Wild  Pinks,  Indian  Pipes  and  many 
others  gave  a  color  to  the  summer  landscape  that  has  long  since  vanished. 
Wild  strawberries  grew  plentifully  upon  the  prairie  hillsides. 

In  the  older  part  of  the  Wethersfield  cemetery,  along  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  and  Quincy  right-of-way  and  in  some  of  the  older  roads  of  the 
township,  prairie  grass  still  grows  with  each  recurring  season.  Aaron 
Townsend  cut  prairie  hay  on  the  east  end  of  the  south  80  of  the  southwest 
quarter  of  section  30  in  the  early  80's. 

Prairie    Fires 

A  prairie  fire  in  the  early  days  was  a  dreaded  occurrence.  These  fires 
usually  took  place  in  the  fall  of  the  year.  If  the  wind  happened  to  be  strong 
the  fire  would  run  like  a  race  horse  in  a  straight  line,  leaving  long 
side-fires  from  the  place  of  starting. 

For  protection  against  prairie  fires,  several  furrows  were  plowed  around 
the  buildings.  Backfiring  was  resorted  to  when  possible.  Sometimes  the 
fire  would  run  into  a  rail  fence.  Then  the  only  thing  to  do  was  to>  throw 
down  the  fence  and  beat  out  the  fire.  For  beating  out  fires,  a  piece  of  flat 
board,  a  wet  sack  or  an  old  coat  were  used. 

It  was  an  awe-inspiring  sight  to  see  a  prairie  fire  at  night,  with  the 
leading  fire  far  in  advance  of  the  side-fires,  and  all  burning  so  brightly  as 
to  light  up  the  heavens  for  miles  around.  Once  seen,  the  sight  could  never 
be  forgotten. 

Our   Pioneer   Grandmothers 

Our  pioneer  grandmothers  labored  from  morning  till  dusk  and  then  by 
candlelight  continued  their  work  on  into  the  evening.  They  spun  the  wool 
raised  on  the  farm  into  yarn.  This  yarn  was  taken  from  the  old  spinning 
wheel  and  wound  on  a  reel  into  skeins.  The  skeins  were  dyed  with  home- 
made dyes,  then  wound  into  balls  by  hand.  These  balls  of  yarn  were 
knitted  into  stockings  or  mittens  or  woven  into  cloth  from  which  blankets 
and  clothes  were  made. 

They  strained  the  milk  and  kept  the  crocks,  pans  and  pails  sweet  and 
clean.  They  skimmed  the  rich,  yellow  cream  from  the  milk  and  with  the 
old  dash-churn,  turned  this  cream  into  the  finest  butter  possible.  They 
knew  how  to  make  "all-cream"  cheese  and  "skim-milk"  cheese  that  would 
melt  in  a  hungry  mouth. 

They  could  make  all  kinds  of  delectable  dishes  from  corn.  The  corn- 
meal  pudding  was  placed  in  a  small  sack  and  then  boiled  in  a  kettle  of 
water.  They  knew  how  to  make  "Johnny  cake,"  "Injun  bread"  and  hominy. 
No  more  does  a  hungry  boy  eat  a  whole  Johnny  cake  with  a  bowl  of  milk 
and  smack  his  lips  for  more.  No  more  does  he  eat  his  hunk  of  "Injun" 
pudding  covered  with  sweetened  cream  and  no  more  is  his  Sunday  dinner 
made  entirely  of  hominy  and  milk. 

Those   pioneer  grandmothers  met   several   times   during  the  year  at  a 


WETHERSFJELD     SKETCHES 21 

quilting  bee  where  they  finished  the  pieced  blocks  made  from  the  remnants 
of  the  year's  dresses  and  aprons,  into  warm  quilts  for  winter  or  into  the 
"crazy  quilts"  that  are  still  shown  by  their  grandchildren. 

In  sickness  they  were  ever  ready  to  give  a  helping  hand.  They  knew 
all  the  first-hand  remedies.  Catnip  and  boneset  hung  drying  in  the  garret 
at  all  times.  Yellow  dock  salve  could  be  made  at  a  moment's  notice  and 
molasses  and  sulphur  were  always  in  the  cupboard. 

The  home  was  the  center  of  family  interest.  Every  home  every  evening 
was  a  "Cotter's  Saturday  Night."  The  mother's  "no"  to  her  children  meant 
"NO."  "You  may  stay  a  half-hour"  meant  just  one-half  hour  and  no  longer. 

Those  girl  grandmothers  of  ours  wore  sensible  low-heeled  shoes  and 
calico  dresses  and  aprons.  They  wore  their  hair  in  long  braids,  tied  with 
ribbons.  They  wore  sun-bonnets  made  from  calico  remnants,  stiffened 
with  a  few  flat  pieces  of  pasteboard,  in  summer,  and  a  cloak  having  a 
hood  and  cape  in  winter.  These  grandmothers  of  ours  often  hid  very 
attractive  faces  beneath  those  sunbonnets  and  often  our  boy  grandfathers 
failed  to  get  even  a  glimpse  of  those  winsome  hidden  faces. 

The  world  moves  on.  Our  grandmothers  have  gone  to  their  reward. 
The  mother  of  today  has  changed.  The  family  life  no  longer  centers  about 
the  home  fireside.  High-heeled  shoes  and  other  fashions  have  been  brought 
from  the  French  capital  to  take  the  place  of  the  calfskin  shoe  and  the 
calico  dress.  No  longer  do  our  girls  wear  their  hair  in  long  braids  tied 
with  ribbons.  No  longer  are  their  faces  hidden  by  the  sunbonnets  of  yore. 
Civilization  cannot  stand  still,  but  sometimes  we  wonder  if  its  progress 
is   along  the   right   path. 

When   the   Village  Was  Young 

Along  the  southern  edge  of  Barren  Grove  in  the  40's  lay  the  little 
village  of  Wethersfield  which  had  been  founded  in  1837.  It  had  at  that 
time  the  only  business  houses  within  a  radius  of  twelve  miles. 

There  were  scattered  houses  in  all  directions,  especially  to  the  north. 
The  interests  of  all  these  homes  centered  in  Wethersfield.  People  came 
here  for  their  mail,  to  the  shops  to  have  their  blacksmithing,  etc.,  done,  and 
to  the  stores  to  do  their  trading.     Their  children  came  here  to  school. 

One  of  the  first  blacksmith  shops  in  the  township  was  erected  by 
Norman  Butler  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Lot  89  in  the  block  lying  just 
east  of  the  public  square. 

On  North  Main,  now  McClure  street,  between  Tenney  and  Payson 
streets  were  grouped  on  both  sides  of  the  road,  a  number  of  business 
houses.  On  the  south  side  of  the  road  and  about  twenty  rods  west  of 
Tenney  street  stood  Hallin's  tailor  shop.  Between  this  shop  and 
Little  &  Perkin's  store  stood  the  Village  Tin  Shop  as  it  was  called  in 
those  days. 

Little  &  Perkin's  store  had  been  built  by  Caleb  J.  T.  Little  who  had  a 
blacksmith  shop  farther  west  at  the  corner  of  McClure  and  Hollis  streets. 
In  this  shop,  Mr.  Little  shod  the  ox  teams  of  the  early  settlers.  Between 
the  store  and  the  blacksmith  shop  stood  the  office  of  'Squire  Miner, 
Justice  of  Peace   for  the  village. 

At  the  corner,  by  the  blacksmith  shop,  was  a  flagpole  and  across  the 
street  was  an  open  field  where  all  public  gatherings  were  held.  The  flag- 
pole was  erected  by  the  Democrats  of  the  village,  but  did  not  stand  long, 
much  to  the  gratification  of  their  Republican  neighbors. 

On  the  north  side  of  McClure  street,  Daniel  McClure  built  a  store  in 
1849,  the  McClure  house  now  standing.  A  lean-to  on  the  west  side  of  this 
store  was  used  as  a  wagon  shop.     James  Wiley,  Sr.  worked  in  this  shop 


22 WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 

before  he  built  the  shop  at  the  corner  of  Tenney  and  Church  streets  on 
Lot  48.  Next  to  McClure's  store  was  Dr.  Phinney's  Drug  store,  which 
besides  the  doctor's  own  office,  contained  the  office  of  Dr.  Earle,  who 
was  a  dentist. 

Farther  west  across  the  road  at  the  corner  of  Hollis  and  McClure 
streets,  stood  a  shoe  shop  where  shoes  were  made  and  repaired.  This  shop, 
as  well  as  the  next  two  buildings  were  erected  by  G-.  E.  Smith,  who  had 
moved  from  the  northern  part  of  the  village  near  Division  and  Willard 
streets  where  he  had  built  what  is  thought  to  have  been  the  first  store  in 
the  township.  The  building  next  to  the  shoe  shop,  built  in  1845  was  used 
by  Smith  as  a  store.    Later  it  became  the  property  of  U.  V.  Matthews. 

Beyond  the  store,  Smith  erected  a  warehouse  thirty-six  feet  long, 
twenty-six  feet  wide  and  twelve  feet  high  at  the  eaves.  Sullivan  Howard, 
master  carpenter,  made  the  entire  framework  of  the  building  from  hard- 
wood.    The   sills   and   posts   were   hewn   by  hand. 

This  building  was  completed  about  1848.  It  was  used  as  a  warehouse 
by  Mr.  Smith.  At  one  time  pork  was  barrelled  in  it.  When  the  new 
town  of  Kewanee  was  started  to  the  north  of  Wethersfield,  this  building 
was  "skidded"  to  that  town.  J.  H.  Page,  still  living  in  the  township,  was 
one  of  the  men  who  helped  move  it  to  Kewanee.  This  building,  erected  over 
seventy  years  ago  from  lumber  which  grew  in  this  locality,  now  stands  on 
the  Porter  property  in  Kewanee.  It  is  used  by  the  Record  Lumber  Company 
as  a  storehouse  for  lime  and  cement. 

Still  farther  west,  at  the  corner  of  Payson  and  McClure  streets,  stood 
H.  H.  Bryan's  wagon  shop.  Later  Mr.  Bryan  moved  to  the  corner  of 
Chestnut  and  Second  streets  where  he  carried  on  his  business  for  several 
years.  On  the  Colony  block,  between  Mill  and  Church  streets,  stood  the 
sawmill,  the  grist  mill,  a  tannery  and  a  cooper  shop. 

Dwelling  houses  were  few  and  far  between.  The  oldest  buildings  now 
standing  are  the  McClure  house,  before  mentioned,  the  Cook  house  at  the 
corner  of  McClure  and  Hollis  streets,  the  Brick  schoolhouse,  the  old  Con- 
gregational church  and  the  old  log  cabin  upon  the  Little  farm.  The  last 
was  built  in  1837  and  is  the  oldest  building  in  the  township. 

It  is  hoped  that  at  least  two  of  these  buildings  may  be  preserved:  namely, 
the  log  cabin  and  the  old  church.  The  old  church,  town  hall  and  erstwhile 
school  room,  built  in  1849,  has  been  converted  into  a  playroom  for  the 
pupils  of  the  township.  The  happy  voices  of  the  children  now  mingle 
with  the  echoes  of  long-forgotten  voices  which  once  echoed  within  its 
four  walls.  It  is  no  desecration  of  the  building  that  it  be  put  to  its  present 
use,  but  adds  only  to  its  sacredness. 

The  Abner  B.  Little  house,  built  in  1837,  has  been  carefully  preserved 
by  the  Little  brothers.  Eighty-eight  years  ago  one  could  have  stood 
upon  its  doorstep  and  looked  for  miles  eastward,  southward  and  westward 
over  the  prairie  without  seeing  a  single  house  or  without  having  his  view 
interrupted  by  a  single  tree.  It  is  the  only  cabin  of  pioneer  days  left  in 
the  township  and  ought  to  be  preserved  for  its  educational  value  if  for 
nothing  else. 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


2:: 


Abner    B.    Little    Cabin 


The   Pioneer 

One  day  in  the  early  forties 
He  stood  by  his   cabin  door, 

A  prairie  stretched  to  the  southward, 
As  level  as  many  a  floor. 

Far  as  his  eyes  could  see, 
Right,  left  and  in  between, 

That  prairie  lay  in  colors 
Of  red,  of  yellow  and  green. 

That  speck  in  the  sky  above, 
An   eagle   soaring  on  high, 

The  musical  songs  of  birds, 

Rose  from  the  earth  to  the  sky. 

The    shadows    of    fleecy    clouds, 
Played  in  the  light  of  the  sun, 

On  the  waving  grass  of  the  prairie, 
Like  lambkins  leaping  in  fun. 

The  earth  was  close  to  nature, 
In  those  long-ago  early  days, 

Before  the  plow  and  the  reaper 
Had  come  to  change  her  ways. 

To  pioneer  eyes  a  pleasure 
Was  that  prairie  of  long  ago, 

Greater  its  beauty  and  richness, 

Than  man  of  the  present  can  know. 


24 WETHERSFIEED     SKETCHES 


Wethersfield    Social    Circle 

The ■  Wethersfield  Social  Circle  was  formed  in  March,  1900.  Mrs.  J.  D. 
Buchanan  is  given  the  credit  of  being  the  founder  of  the  society.  For  twenty- 
five  years  the  W.  S.  C.  has  gone  about  its  work  fulfilling  to  the  letter,  the 
sentiments  expressed  in  article  two  of  its  constitution,  which  reads  as  follows: 

"The  object  of  this  society  shall  be  to  promote  a  more  friendly  feeling 
among  neighbors  and  friends,  to  look  after  them  in  sickness,  to  sympathize 
in  times  of  trouble  or  sorrow,  to  speak  a  kind  word,  or  to  give  a  smile  to 
cheer  some  one  on  her  way." 

The  first  meeting  took  place  on  March  1,  1900  at  the  home  of  Mrs. 
Nancy  Smith  on  Willard  street.  On  March  21,  1901,  twenty  dollars  was 
subscribed  toward  building  a  board  sidewalk  on  Church  street  from  Edwards 
street  to  Tenney  street.  At  the  same  meeting  it  was'  voted  that  the  money 
raised  during  the  year  should  be  used  for  placing  sidewalks  wherever 
needed   in   the  village. 

The  Saxon    Baptist  Church 

The  Saxon  Union  Baptist  church  was  organized  in  1866.  This  church 
stood  on  the  corner  west  of  the  Saxon  school  house.  It  was  built  by  the 
Baptist,  Presbyterian  and  Primitive  or  Protestant  Methodist  associations, 
aided  by  George  F.  Dexter  and  others. 

In  1874,  Elder  Hart  of  Toulon,  was  engaged  to  preach  once  every  two 
weeks.  April  3,  1878,  E.  E.  Tyson  became  its  pastor  at  a  salary  of  $500 
per  year.  Mr.  Tyson  continued  pastor  of  the  church  until  June  25,  1882. 
During  his  pastorate  on  October  12,  1878,  it  was  voted  to  continue  Sunday 
school  through  the  winter  months. 

On  January  12,  1878,  an  organ  costing  $101  was  purchased  for  the 
use  of  the  choir.  On  March  8,  1879,  the  deacons  of  the  church  were 
requested  to  procure  unfermented  wine  for  communion  services.  On  Jan- 
uary 17,  1880,  the  church  was  renamed  the  Saxon  Bapist  church. 

Rev.  E.  C.  Cady  became  pastor  Sept.  12,  1882.  The  following  report 
was  made  by  the  secretary  in  September,  1884:  Members,  79;  Sunday 
school  officers  and  teachers,  8;  Average  attendance  48;  Value  of  church 
property,  $2,000;  Pastor,  E.  C.  Cady  of  Toulon;  F.  B.  Robson,  Clerk; 
Sunday  school  supt,  Baxter  Fuller;  Regular  services  once  in  two  weeks. 

E.  W.  Hicks  became  pastor  January  10,  1891.  On  May  8,  1892,  letters 
were  written  to  the  senator  and  representatives  of  the  district  asking  them 
not  to  vote  for  the  World's  Fair  appropriation  unless  the  gates  of  that 
exposition  were  closed  on  Sunday  and  that  no  liquor  was  sold  on  the  grounds. 

On  Sept.  9,  1899,  the  clerk  says,  "We  are  not  dead,  but  sleeping.  If 
we  were  only  as  faithful  as  our  pastor  Rev.  E.  W.  Hicks,  who  rides  five  miles 
and  back  nearly  every  Sunday  through  the  heat  and  cold,  mud  and  dust, 
our  outlook  would  be  more  promising." 

It  seems  that  conditions  became  worse  and  on  May  21,  1904,  a  motion 
was  made  and  carried  that  the  trustees  be  empowered  to  dispose  of  the 
meeting  house  when  they  could  do  so  with  good  opportunity. 

On  April  14,  1905,  C.  Keckler,  George  F.  Dexter  and  Edgar  Miner, 
trustees  of  the  church,  disposed  of  the  church  property  as  follows:  $888  in 
a  Kewanee  bank  given  to  the  church  by  Simon  Bennett  was  divided  as 
follows:  $100  was  given  to  Rev.  Hicks;  $788  was  divided  equally  between 
the,  Baptist  churches  of  Toulon,  Galva  and  Kewanee  on  condition  if  there 
ever  be  need  of  this  money  to  establish  a  Baptist  church  in  Saxon,  the  money 
should    be    refunded. 

The  church  building  was  sold  to  M.  S.  Craig  for  $250  and  now  stands 
on  one  of  his  farms.     The  church  organ  was  given  to  the  school  district 


WKTHKRSFIKM  >     SKKTTHKS 25 

No.  16.  The  money  received  for  the  building  and  remainder  of  the  personal 
property  was  divided  among  the  churches  above  mentioned.  A  quit  claim 
deed  of  the  church  lot  was  given  to  Jehiel  Fuller,  who,  on  Oct.  28,  1863,  had 
given  the  land  upon  which  the  church  stood  for  church  purposes  as  long 
as  used  for  such  purposes. 

An  amusing  incident  happened  in  this  church  during  a  Sunday  sermon 
many  years  ago.  A  stranger  was  in  the  pulpit  on  that  Sunday  morning. 
As  the  sermon  progressed,  it  became  quite  warm  in  the  church.  The 
minister  motioned  to  a  young  man  sitting  by  the  window  to  raise  the 
window. 

An  old  gentlemen  sitting  near  the  window,  who  was  a  confirmed  snuff 
user,  was  about  to  take  a  pinch  of  snuff.  He  thought  the  minister  was 
motioning  to  him..  He  rose  from  his  seat,  went  to  the  pulpit  and  reached 
out  his  snuff-box  toward  the  minister. 

The  rest  of  the  congregation  who  understood  what  the  minister  wanted 
burst  out  laughing  when  the  minister  said,  "No,  no,  brother,  it  was  not  the 
snuff  I  wanted,  but  the  window  opened." 

Meanwhile  the  young  man  had  opened  the  window.  The  old  gentleman 
went  to  his  seat,  but  was  so  confused  that  he  shut  the  window  before  he 
sat  down. 

The   Wethersfield    Baptist   Church 

The  Baptist  church  at  Wethersfield  was  organized  on  May  17,  1851,  with 
eleven  members.  J.  M.  Stickney  was  obtained  as  pastor  in  1852.  He  was 
followed  by  J.  S.  Mahan,  J.  M.  Winn  and  lastly  by  S.  P.  Ives. 

In  1854  plans  were  made  to  build  a  church  and  it  was  begun  and 
partly  completed  in  1855.  In  1856  this  society  sold  their  unfinished  church 
to  the  trustees  of  the  Wethersfield  school  district  and  removed  their  place 
of  worship  to  Kewanee,  becoming  the  First  Baptist  church  of  that  place. 

The  Wethersfield  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 

The  Wethersfield  Methodist  Episcopal  church  society  was  organized 
in  1841.  On  July  22,  1850,  the  trustees  of  this  society  bought  the  north 
one-half  of  the  east  three-fifths  of  Lot  65.  In  1851  a  large  building  was 
begun  but  was  not  completed  until  1853. 

The  earlier  services  were  held  in  the  residences  of  the  members  of 
the  society  or  in  school  houses.  After  the  church  was  completed  a  minister 
was  secured  and  services  were  held  in  the  church  until  in  the  80's. 

The  formation  of  a  similar  church  society  in  Kewanee  took  many  of 
the  members  of  the  Wethersfield  church  and  it  was  finally  abandoned.  On 
July  30,  1890,  the  church  building  and  lot  were  sold.  The  building  was 
removed  to  South  street  where  it  now  stands  on  the  farm  owned  by 
Charles    T.    Little. 

The    Wethersfield    Congregational    Church 

The  first  services  of  the  people  who  founded  the  Congregational  church 
in  Wethersfield  were  held  at  Col.  Sylvester  Blish's  residence.  These 
people  erected  a  church  in  1838.  It  was  made  of  logs  hauled  from  Barren 
G-rove  which  then  covered  a  large  part  of  the  site  of  what  is  now  the  city 
of  Kewanee.  This  building  stood  on  Lot  49  of  the  original  village  of 
Wethersfield. 

In  this  humble  building,  the  people  of  Wethersfield  and  vicinity  wor- 
shipped  for    several    years.     The   men   brought   their   women-folks   from   a 


26 


WETHERSFI ELD     SKETCHES 


Congregational    Church 

distance  in  wagons  having  nothing  but  boards  tor  seats.  Often  there  was 
no  wagon  box.  In  that  case  a  wide  board  or  plank  reached  from  the  back 
of  the  wagon  to  the  front  axle  for  a  seat  and  a  chain  reaching  from  front  to 
back  axle  furnished  a  foot  rest. 

Sometimes  the  worshippers  from  a  distance  would  be  late  "to  meeting." 
The  driver  of  the  ox  team  would  bring  his  team  to  a  standstill  in  front 
of  the  old  church  with  a  Who-a-a  Buck,  or  a  Hi-sh-sh  Jerry,  much  to  the 
quiet  amusement  of  those  who  could  see  the  unloading  through  the  old 
church  door,  or  the  low  windows. 

The  seats  in  the  old  church  were  hard  and  rough.  The  women-folks 
often  spread  shawls  or  blankets  over  them  to  make  them  more  comfortable. 
The  sermon  was  always  long  and  sometimes  dry.  The  hot  sun  streaming 
through  the  windows,  the  flies  buzzing  about  the  room  and  the  voice  of 
the  minister  all  invited  drowsiness.  It  was  often  considerable  of  a  task 
for  the  minister  to  keep  his  congregation  awake  in  those  days. 

Rev.  Ithamar  Pillsbury  from  the  Andover  colony  was  the  first  minister. 
He  gave  one-fourth  of  his  time  to  the  Wethersfield  church  through  the 
latter  part  of  1837  and  until  October,  1838.  In  performing  his  duties,  he 
walked  from  Andover  to  Wethersfield,  a  distance  of  about  twenty-four 
miles.  He  made  the  journey  in  all  kinds  of  weather,  sometimes  wading 
or  swimming  the  streams  as  there  were  no  bridges.  He  was  a  noble  type 
of  the  pioneer  preacher,  strict,  temperate  and  honest.  He  was  very 
enthusiastic  in  his  belief  of  the  future  greatness  of  Henry  county. 


Congregational    Parsonage 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


Iii  1839  the  Home  Missionary  society  of  Wetherst'ield,  Conn.,  sent  Rev. 
W.  F.  Vaill  to  the  Wethersfield  colony.  Through  his  efforts  a  church 
organization  was  formed,  styled  "The  First  Ecclesiastical  Society  of 
Wethersfield"  with  the  following  members:  Rev.  W.  F.  Vaill,  Nancy  T. 
Little,  Mrs.  Rhoda  Blish,  John  H.  Wells,  Mrs.  Julia  Wells,  L.  C.  Sleight, 
Hosea  Buckley  and  wife,  Deacon  Zenas  Hotchkiss  and  wife,  Norman  Butler 
and  wife,  Rev.  Joseph  Goodrich  and  wife  and  Francis  Loomis. 

Rev.  Vaill,  who  served  eight  years,  was  followed  by  Samuel  Ordway. 
Darius  Gore,  S.  R.  Thrall  who  was  aided  by  Rev.  Roy,  and  by  W.  T.  Bartle 
who  was  installed  June  23,  1856. 

On  August  24,  1849,  Harry  Talcott  conveyed  to  Juduthan  Hubbard, 
Sullivan  Howard  and  Joseph  Goodrich,  trustees  of  the  society,  Lot  77  of  the 
original  town  of  Wethersfield  for  the  sum  of  $20.  The  west  and  north 
sides  of  the  lot  were  afterwards  sold  by  the  trustees,  leaving  a  tract  of 
land  twelve  rods  square  in  the  south-east  corner  of  the  lot.  In  the  fall  of 
1849  a  church  forty  feet  long  and  thirty  feet  wide  was  erected  on  this 
land.  In  1855  ten  feet  more  was  added  to  the  north  end,  at  the  same  time 
the  south  end  of  the  floor  was  raised  for  the  choir. 

In  1855  one-third  of  the  members  of  the  church  joined  the  Congrega- 
tional church  in  Kewanee.  By  1885  no  regular  services  were  held  though 
a  Sunday  school  had  been  kept  up.  On  May  6,  1895,  it  was  voted  to  sell  the 
church  property.  In  1896  it  was  sold  to  the  Town  of  Wethersfield  for  a 
town  hall.  It  was  deeded  Jan.  7,  1897.  The  proceeds  of  the  sale,  $500,  was 
sent  to  the  Home  Missionary  society  which  had  aided  the  church  in  early 
days. 

After  the  town  got  possession  of  the  building,  twenty  feet  was  added 
to  the  north  end,  but  the  original  part  built  in  1849  was  never  changed. 
The  original  part  is  very  substantial.  The  frame  is  of  hardwood.  It  was 
built  by  Sullivan  Howard  who  hauled  the  lumber  overland  from  Rock  Island 
and  other  points  on  the  Mississippi  river.  The  large  Yellow  stones  originally 
in  its  foundation  was  donated  and  partly  hauled  by  R.  A.  Little  from  a 
slough  on  his  farm  north  of  the  city  of  Kewanee. 

This  building,  now  the  Township  High  School  gymnasium,  was  once 
considered  the  finest  church  building  in  this  part  of  the  state.  It  has  been 
the  scene  of  many  events  of  interest  connected  with  the  town.  From  its 
pulpit  Horace  Greeley  once  spoke  to  the  people  of  Wethersfield  and  its 
vicinity.  It  is  one  of  the  landmarks  of  those  early  days  upon  the  prairies 
of  the  township  and  should  be  carefully  preserved. 

Cemeteries 

Soon  after  the  village  of  Wethersfield  was  plotted,  two  lots,  one  in  the 
eastern  part  and  one  in  the  western  part  of  the  village;  were  set  aside  for 
cemetery  purposes.  Lot  96  in  the  western  part  of  the  village  was  the  only 
one  of  these  lots  used. 

On  Sept.  7,  1864,  Charles  B.  Miner,  supervisor  of  Wethersfield  township, 
bought  of  Samuel  S.  Miner  and  wife  of  Maysville,  Ky.,  Lot  95  of  the  original 
village  for  an  addition  to  the  cemetery.  This  lot  lay  to  the  east  and  ad- 
joining the  original  cemetery  lot  in  the  western  part  of  the  village.  This 
lot  cost  $300  and  is  known  as  the  first  addition  to  the  cemetery.  The 
second  addition  to  the  cemetery  was  made  Sept.  28,  1914,  when  the  north 
173.25  ft.  of  Lot  98  was  bought. 

The  first  burial  in  the  cemetery  was  that  of  Mrs.  William  Goodrich  on 
Nov.  6,  1840.  Besides  Rev.  William  Goodrich  and  wife  another  early  min- 
ister and  his  wife  are  buried  in  the  older  part  of  the  cemetery.  These  are 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  F.  Vaill. 


28 WKTH  KKSFIEL.P     SKETCHES 

In  1869  at  a  celebration  over  a  village  election  several  anvils  were 
secured.  One  of  these,  a  hollow  cast  anvil,  was  filled  with  powder  and  a 
fuse  set  to  explode  it.  Another  anvil  was  placed  upon  the  anvil  filled  with 
powder. 

When  the  powder  exploded,  instead  of  lifting  the  upper  anvil  as  was 
expected,  the  lower  anvil  burst  into  several  pieces  which  flew  in  all 
directions.  One  of  the  pieces  hit  James  Dedman,  a  boy  fifteen  years  old, 
wounding  him  so  that  he  died  the  next  day.  His  grave  is  marked  only  by 
the  piece  of  broken  anvil  which  killed  him. 

In  this  cemetery  are  also  buried  John  and  Thomas  Moffatt,  who  were 
killed  and  scalped  by  the  Indians  on  August  6,  1864,  while  hunting  buffaloes 
in  Kansas. 

In  1920  a  small  cannon  was  secured  by  William  Guest.  Money  to  mount 
the  cannon  near  the  center  of  the  cemetery  was  obtained  by  popular  sub- 
scription. The  cemetery  is  well  cared  for.  In  the  summer  the  graves  are 
covered  with  masses  of  flowers.  The  original  cemetery  lot  was  never  broken 
up  by  the  plow  and  season  after  season  the  beautiful  prairie  grass  grows 
waist  high  and  is  cut  with  the  scythe  as  it  was  nearly  ninety  years  ago. 

The    Catholic    Cemetery 

The  Catholic  cemetery  on  the  north  end  of  the  west  one-half  of  the 
northwest  quarter  of  Sec.  26  was  deeded  by  Patrick  Cavanaugh  for  a 
cemetery  on  July  17,  1857. 

The   Saxon   Cemetery 

The  only  other  cemetery  in  the  township  lies  in  the  yard  of  the  M.  E. 
church  in  Saxon.  It  dates  from  July  10,  1863.  An  additional  piece  of  land 
for  this  cemetery  was  sold  by  James  C.  Robson  on  July  7,  1866.  This 
cemetery  lies  on  the  south  end  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  the  southwest 
quarter  of  Section  36. 

Saxon   M.   E.  Church 

The  M  E.  Church  at  Saxon  was  built  in  1863,  and  dedicated  Dec.  2nd  of 
the  same  year.     Rev.  S.  L.  Hamilton  was  the  minister. 


A  Faded  Rose 

Only  a  faded  flower, 

Lying  between  two  leaves, 

Souvenir  from  a  little  friend, 

For  whom  my  heart  still  grieves. 

A  dainty  creature,  she, 

With  step  so  light  and  free, 

More  like  a  graceful  fawn, 
She  tripped  along  with  me. 

Down  the  lane  we  wandered, 
Myself  once  more  a  child, 

Mild   the   June-day  breezes 
And  sweet  the  roses  wild. 


YVETHEKSFIELD     SKETCHES 


29 


All  nature  smiled  that  morning, 

The  birds  they  sang  divine, 
My  little  friend  was  happy, 

Her  slender  hand  in  mine. 

I  hear  her  gentle  prattle, 

"Why  are  the  roses  red," 
And,  "Where  do  little  girls  go, 

When  snugly  tucked  in  bed"? 

Her  nimble  fingers  plucked 

One  rose  beneath  a  tree, 
With  cheeks  that  rivaled  roses 

She  shyly  gaye  it  me. 

Long  years  has   she  been  gone, 

But  still  her  hand  I  feel,  , 

And  the  odor  of  that  rose, 
Yet  to  my  senses  steal. 

Fences 

In  the  pioneer  days  the  few  fences  were  made  of  rails.  Such  a  fence 
was  called  a  rail  or  zigzag  fence.  Wild  dill,  wild  mustard  and  other  weeds 
grew  luxuriantly  in  the  angles  made  by  the  rail  fence  and  among  these 
weeds  nested  the  quail.  It  was  a  common  sight  on  a  morning  in  June  or 
July  to  see  a  mother  quail  and  her  off-spring  sunning  themselves  on  the 
topmost  rail  of  one  of  these  fences. 


Zig-zag    Fence 

The  zigzag  fence  soon  gave  place  to  the  board  fence.  In  the  50's  and 
60's  the  hedge  fence  took  the  place  of  many  board  fences,  especially  as 
line  fences.  The  board  fence  was  made  of  boards  called  fence  boards.  The 
standard  size  of  a  fence  board  was  one  inch  thick,  six  inches  wide  and 
sixteen  feet  long.  The  posts  to  support  these  boards  were  cut  from  the 
groves  of  the  township  or  of  the  neighboring  townships.  The  posts  were 
set  eight  feet  apart  and  four  boards  were  nailed  to  the  posts,  each  above 
another  and  from  four  to  eight  inches  apart. 


WETHERS  FIELD     SKETCHES 


Most  of  the  hedge  fences  of  the  township  grew  from  plants  obtained 
from  the  Willard  nursery  near  the  village  in  the  northern  part  of  the  town- 
ship. This  nursery  was  started  in  1845.  In  setting  out  a  hedge  fence,  a 
furrow  eight  to  twelve  inches  deep  was  run  on  the  line  of  the  proposed 
fence.  Then  the  hedge  plants  were  set  in  this  furrow  from  six  to  twelve 
inches   apart. 

The  plants  grew  rapidly  and  in  a  few  years  they  were  laid  and  woven 
together,  called  "lopping,"  making  a  very  good  fence.  To  keep  this  fence 
of  the  legal  height,  four  and  one-half  feet,  required  considerable  work  as 
the  plants  grew  rapidly  and  had  to  be  trimmed  at  least  two  times  each 
year.  Some  of  those  hedge  fences  were  allowed  to  grow  without  trimming 
and  from  these  fences  thousands  of  the  finest  and  most  durable  fence  posts 
have  been  cut.     No  post  will  outlast  the  hedge  or  Osage  orange  post. 

In  the  80's  the  board  fence  began  to  have  a  strand  or  two  of  barbed 
wire  and  fewer  boards.  Later  woven  wire  took  the  place  of  the  board  fence. 
This  is  especially  true  of  interior  farm  fences. 

Wages 

In  the  pioneer  days  a  man  received  from  sixteen  to  twenty  dollars  per 
month.  A  common  day's  wages  was  seventy-five  cents  or  one  dollar  and 
fifty  cents  for  a  man  and  a  team.  A  teacher  received  one  dollar  and  twenty- 
five  cents  per  week  and  a  girl  to  do  housework  received  from  fifty  cents  to 
one  dollar  per  week. 

By  the  eighties  a  man  received  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  per  day  or 
three  dollars  per  day  when  he  worked  his  team.  A  teacher  received  from 
twenty  to  fifty  dollars  per  month.  The  principal  of  a  graded  school,  from 
fifty  to  seventy-five  dollars  per  month.  A  hired  girl  received  from,  one 
dollar  and  fifty  cents  to  two  dollars  per  week. 

At  the  present  time  men  are  receiving  from  thirty  cents  to  one  dollar 
and  fifty  cents  per  hour.  Teachers  are  receiving  from  eighty  to  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  dollars  per  month.  Principals  of  schools  from  sixteen 
hundred  to  over  two  thousand  dollars  per  year.  The  "hired  girl"  has  dis- 
appeared from  the  land.  Her  place  has  been  taken  by  the  milking  machine, 
cream  separator  and  city  bakery.  Once  seen,  however,  one  could  never 
forget  the  fine  picture  that  the  "hired  girl"  made  as  she  stood  by  the  old 
kitchen  table,  her  sleeves  rolled  up  above  her  elbows  while  she  kneaded 
the  dough  and  placed  it  in  the  pans  for  baking. 

Early   Marketing 

During  the  40's,  Peoria,  Henry  and  Rock  Island  were  the  chief  markets 
for  the  Wethersfield  colonists.  A  trip  was  made  to  one  or  the  other  of 
these  places  about  twice  each  year,  once  in  late  summer  and  again  in  late 
fall.  On  the  summer  trip  a  load  of  grain  was  carried  to  trade  for  groceries 
and  for  cloth  to  make  clothing  for  the  family.  All  the  clothing,  except  boots, 
shoes  and  caps  were  made  in  the  home. 

The  feet  and  heads  of  the  members  of  the  family  were  measured  for 
boots,  shoes  and  caps.  In  measuring  for  boots  and  shoes,  the  heel  of  the 
foot  was  placed  against  the  mop-board  of  a  room  and  a  mark  was  made  or 
the  blade  of  a  knife  was  stuck  in  the  floor  at  the  tip  of  the  big  toe.  The 
length  of  the  foot  was  then  transferred  to  a  stick  and  a  notch  was  cut  to 
show  the  size  of  the  largest  foot  in  the  family.  The  next  foot  size  was 
then  measured  and  another  notch  cut  in  the  stick  and  so  on  for  each 
member  of  the  family  until  the  size  of  each  foot  was  obtained. 

The  head  of  each  boy  in   the  family  was  measured  for  a  cap  or  hat 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 31 

with  a  string,  the  smallest  head  being  measured  first.  A  knot  was  tied 
in  the  string  for  each  measurement.  As  the  womenfolks  wore  a  sunbonnet 
in  summer  and  a  cloak  with  a  hood  in  winter,  the  expense  for  their  head- 
wear  was  inconsequential. 

New  Orleans  sugar  was  bought  by  the  sack  of  100  lbs.  Enough  tea  and 
coffee  was  brought  home  to  last  six  months  or  until  a  second  trip  was  made. 
On  the  second  trip  a  load  of  dressed  hogs  was  carried  to  market.  These, 
after  having  been  hauled  forty  or  fifty  miles,  were  often  sold  at  from 
seventy-five  cents  to  three  dollars   per  head. 

Railroads 

The  Central  Military  Tract  railroad,  now  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  railroad,  was  built  across  the  northwest  corner  of  the  township 
in  the  fall  and  winter  of  1854-55.  Placing  the  railroad  on  the  higher  ridge 
north  of  the  village  of  Wethersfield  and  establishing  a  depot  there  struck 
the  deathblow  to  Wethersfield  ever  becoming  a  large  city. 

H.  H.  Bryan  moved  his  wagon  shop  to  Kewanee  May  16,  1857.  By  this 
time  there  were  two  thousand  inhabitants  in  Kewanee.  Over  sixty  buildings, 
including  dwelling  and  business  houses,  were  erected  during  1857.  From 
this  time  Kewanee  made  rapid  growth  while  the  village  of  Wethersfield 
remained  practically  stationary  with  respect  to  business  growth. 


Sickness 

The  worst  enemy  of  the  pioneers  was  sickness.  Fever  caused  by  ex- 
posure and  unsanitary  conditions  predominated.  Though  the  settlers 
usually  located  near  springs,  good  drinking  water  was  not  always  available. 
Often  in  the  spring  of  the  year  whole  families  would  be  sick  with  the  ague. 
There  were  few  doctors  and  medicine  was  hard  to  get. 

The  story  is  told  of  a  doctor  of  a  neighboring  township,  who,  when  he 
changed  the  medicine  of  a  patient  or  when  the  patient  died,  saved  what 
medicine  was  left.  The  doctor  emptied  this  medicine  into  a  jug  in  his 
office.  When  he  got  a  patient  whose  case  he  could  not  diagnosis,  he  would 
give  him  a  dose  from  this  jug  saying  that  it  would  either  kill  or  cure  him. 
This  jug  the  doctor  called  his  "kill  or  cure  jug." 


Buyers  of  Stock 

John  Zang  and  Thomas  Howell  were  known  all  over  the  township  in 
the  80's  and  90's  as  shippers  of  stock.  It  was  a  common  sight  in  those  days 
to  see  Mr.  Howell  jogging  along  the  dusty  roads,  one  leg  hanging  outside 
the  buggy,  whip  in  hand,  on  his  way  to  scour  the  township  for  hogs  and 
cattle. 

When  a  farmer  saw  Mr.  Howell  or  Mr.  Zang  enter  his  yard  he  knew 
that  they  were  after  his  marketable  live  stock.  After  the  stock  had  been 
examined,  Mr.  Howell  or  Mr.  Zang,  whichever  it  might  be,  would  lead  the 
the  way  to  the  house  ostensibly  for  the  purpose  of  getting  warm  if  it  was 
in  the  winter  time  and  without  any  excuse  whatever  if  it  happened  to  be 
summer  time. 

At  the  house  the  farmer's  wife  came  in  for  her  part  of  the  trade.  With 
a  pan  of  "fried  cakes"right  out  of  the  kettle  and  a  plate  of  fine  apples 
before  them  the  buyer  and  seller  would  talk  for  an  hour  or  more  trying  to 
complete  a  bargain  for  the  stock.  By  the  time  the  cakes  and  apples  were 
gone  the  bargain  would  be  completed. 


32 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


Ditching   and    Draining 

In  the  early  40's  "Wethersfield  township  had  much  standing  water. 
Every  low  place  was  a  swamp  and  the  sloughs  were  almost  impassible  in 
the  spring  and  fall.  There  were  many  acres  on  nearly  every  farm  that 
would  not  produce  crops  because  of  standing  water.  The  farmer  had  to 
cross  the  muddy  sloughs  on  his  farm  or  he  had  to  turn  on  the  soft  edges 
of  them.  Either  way  made  farming  disagreeable.  All  hollows  and  low 
places  were  too  wet  to  raise  crops. 

In  the  60's  blind  ditching  w~as  begun  in  the  township.  George  Hachtel 
and  Sam  Dickson  made  a  good  many  miles  of  blind  ditches.  The  blind 
ditcher  consisted  of  a  plow-like  frame  having  a  cutter  three  or  four  feet 
long.  The  cutter  had  a  pointed  ball  of  iron  at  its  lower  end.  With  capstan 
turned  by  six  or  eight  yoke  of  oxen,  this  plow  was  drawn  up  the  center 
of  the   slough. 

The  iron  ball  left  a  tunnel.  The  gash  above  the  ball,  made  by  the 
cutter  would  close  after  the  plow  passed.  However  it  was  found  that  blind 
ditching  was  not  very  successful  for  quicksand  and  the  crawfish  soon  filled 
the  tunnel  and  the  water  would  break  through  to  the  surface. 

In  the  80's  tile  came  into  use.  Mr.  Dickson  turned  his  blind  ditcher 
into  a  tile  ditcher  and  drained  many  sloughs  with  it.  More  tile,  however, 
was  laid  by  hand.  In  the  SO's  and  90's  nearly  all  the  sloughs  and  ponds 
in  the  township  were  drained.  The  cost  of  tiling  was  about  thirty  cents 
per  rod  for  laying  and  one  and  one-half  to  two  cents  each  for  three  inch  tile. 
Four-inch  tile  cost  three  cents  each.  Of  all  the  improvements  made  upon 
the  farms  of  the  township  no  improvement  has  added  so  much  to  the  pro- 
ductive value  of  the  farm  as  tile. 

The   Old    Plow 

This  old  plow  of  eighty  years  ago  is  a  crude  reminder  of  that  time 
when  the  virgin  soil  of  Wethersfield  was  unbroken,  when  the  quail  and 
prairie  chicken  nested  at  the  roots  of  the  tufted  prairie  grass  unmolested. 


Old    Plow 


WKTHERSPIELP     SKKTCHKS 33 

Drawn  through  the  tough  sod  interlaced  with  "red  roots"  day  alter  day 
by  one  or  two  yoke  of  oxen,  this  plow  of  the  wooden  mould  hoard  turned  to 
the  sunlight  for  the  first  time  that  rich  black  prairie  soil  which  had  been 
lying  for  ages  waiting  for  the  pioneer  farmer. 

The  old  plow  buried  the  prairie  flowers  which  with  every  returning 
season  bloomed  in  masses  of  purple,  of  yellow  and  of  red.  And  above 
their  graves  sprang  fields  of  golden  wheat  and  verdant  fields  of  Indian  corn. 

Relegated  long  ago  to  the  junk  heap  or  the  museum  is  this  wooden 
plow  of  pioneer  days.  Likewise  have  disappeared  the  beautiful  prairie 
regions  of  our  township — so  beautiful  in  appearance  that  it  is  little  wonder 
that  those  first  to  see  them  thought  they  had  indeed  found  a  paradise  on 
earth. 

Planting    Corn 

The  first  hundred  bushel  of  corn  in  the  township  was  raised  by  Col. 
Sylvester  Blish.  With  the  old  wooden  plow  a  furrow  of  sod  would  be  turned, 
then  seed  corn,  four  kernels  at  a  time  would  be  dropped  a  few  feet  apart 
in  this  furrow.  Four  furrows  would  then  be  turned  and  another  row  of 
corn  dropped  in  the  fourth  furrow  and  so  on  until  the  field,  usually  of  a  few 
acres,  was  planted. 

In  planting  on  older  ground  the  stalks  of  the  year  before  were  broken 
down,  raked  and  burned.  Piles  of  burning  stalks  could  be  seen  in  the 
evening  for  miles.  The  ground  was  then  plowed  and  harrowed.  Next  it 
was  marked  both  ways  by  a  marker.  The  marker  had  four  runners  fastened 
about  three  feet  apart.  A  tongue  was  fastened  to  the  marker  to  make  it 
move  steadily. 

After  the  field  was  marked  both  ways  the  boys  and  girls  of  the  family 
dropped  the  corn  where  the  marker  runners  criss-crossed  and  the  m^n 
covered  the  corn  with  hoes.  Soon  dropping  by  hand  was  superseded  by  the 
hand  drill.  The  lower  end  of  the  drill  was  stuck  into  the  ground  and  the 
corn  was  dropped  by  placing  the  foot  on  a  lever  near  the  lower  end  of  +he 
drill.  After  the  drill  was  removed  the  soil  over  the  corn  was  pressed 
firmly  down. 

In  the  60's  Brown's  two  rowed  corn  planter  came  into  use  in  the  town- 
ship and  later  the  Armstrong  planter  manufactured  at  Elmira,  With  these 
planters  the  field  needed  to  be  marked  only  one  way.  A  driver  on  the 
planter  guided  the  horses  and  planter  cross-wise  of  the  marked  field.  Another 
man,  usually  a  boy,  sat  on  the  front  part  of  the  planter  and  by  moving  a 
handle  dropped  the  corn  into  the  furrows  as  the  planter  crossed  them.  In 
the  70's  the  check  rower  came  into  use  and  is  still  used  on  all  farms  in 
the   township. 

Dropping  corn  on  one  of  the  old  two-row  corn  planters  was  one  of  the 
most  disagreeable  tasks  that  ever  fell  to  the  lot  of  a  country  boy.  Corn 
planting  came  from  the  tenth  to  the  twenty-fifth  of  May.  The  ground  was 
dry  by  this  time  of  the  year  and  the  dust  stirred  up  by  the  planter  and 
horses'  feet  rose  in  clouds,  covering  the  dropper,  who  sat  low  down  and 
close  to  the  heels  of  the  horses,  with  dirt  and  filling  his  eyes  so  full  of  dirt 
that  he  could  hardly  see. 

The  driver,  who  sat  farther  back  and  higher  up  on  the  planter,  would 
often  let  his  lines  drag  across  the  dropper's  head  and  shoulders.  With  his 
dirt-filled  eyes  glued  to  the  pointer,  with  the  driver's  lines  raking  his  head 
and  shoulders  and  with  sweat  pouring  from  his  face  and  body,  is  it  any 
wonder  that  the  farmer  lad  sometimes  thought  that  farming  was  a  dis- 
agreeable occupation? 


34 


WKTHKIISFIKLT)     SKETCHES 


Corn    Husking 


Husking    Corn    (1925) 

In  the  early  days  corn  was  gathered  by  three  men,  usually  two  men 
and  a  boy,  to  a  wagon.  Each  of  the  men  husked  two  rows  at  the  side  of  the 
wagon  and  the  boy  the  row  that  the  wagon  straddled.  Husking  the  "down- 
row"  was  always  a  disagreeable  task.  Usually  this  row  was  equal  in 
number  of  ears  to  two  rows  at  the  side  of  the  wagon,  and  every  ear  had  to 
be  stooped   for. 

Fifty  to  sixty  bushels  was  a  day's  work  for  three  huskers.  Today  the 
wagon  straddles  a  husked  row  and  the  husking  is  done  from  one  side  of  the 
wagon.  A  good  husker  will  average  from  eighty  to  one  hundred  and  twenty 
bushels  per  day  and  now  instead  of  unloading  with  a  scoopshovel,  an  ele- 
vator places  the  corn  wherever  desired  in  the  crib. 

The   Husker 

Often  before  the  sun  is  up  the  farmer  is  on  the  way  to  the  cornfield. 
His  wagon  rattles  over  the  frozen  ground — a  sound  that  is  duplicated  by 
other  wagons  far  and  near.  He  turns  his  team  on  to  the  last  husked  row, 
hangs  his  coat  on  the  tail-board  and  the  ears  begin  to  fly  against  the 
"bang-boards." 

One  by  one  the  ears  fall  into  the  wagon  as  the  sun  climbs  higher 
into  the  sky.  The  frost  is  gone  from  the  corn  husks  and  the  heat  of  the 
mid-fore-noon  causes  the  husker  to  shed  his  frock.  By  eleven  o'clock  the 
heaped-high  wagon  is  ready  for  the  crib  and  the  husker  is  ready  for  his 
dinner.  Forenoon  and  afternoon  from  October  until  Thanksgiving  Day  the 
husker  goes  forth  to  the  fields.  He  reaps  the  golden  ears  and  stores  them 
against  a  time  of  need.  Surely  he  is  doing  his  part  in  feeding  the  nations 
of  the  earth. 


Early    Reaping    and    Harvesting 

Before  the  time  of  the  mowing  machine,  grass  was  cut  with  the  scythe. 
In  those  early  summer  days  of  the  late  30's,  it  was  a  fine  sight  to  go  out  on 


WETHERSFIBEP     SKETCHES 35 

the  prairies  to  see  a  group  of  men  swing  their  scythes  as  the  prairie  grass 
fell  in  even  swaths  before  them.  An  old  Indian  chief  who  watched  the 
mowers  one  day  said,  "It  is  the  easiest  work  Injun  can  do  to  lie  in  the 
shade   and   see  white  men  mow." 

Before  the  invention  of  the  McCormick  reaper  in  1845,  all  grain  was 
cut  either  with  the  cradle  or  reaping  hook.  The  first  McCormick  reaper 
had  a  seat  for  the  driver,  but  the  man  who  raked  the  grain  from  the 
platform  of  the  machine  into  bundles  walked  behind  the  machine  and 
carried  his  rake  in  his  hand. 

Captain  Sullivan  Howard  made  the  first  seat  for  the  raker  by  bolting 
a  couple  of  2x4's  to  the  frame  of  the  machine.  Cyrus  W.  McCormick  came 
from  Chicago,  saw  the  seat  and  afterward  made  his  reaper  with  two  seats, 
one  for  the  driver  and  one  for  the  raker.  The  improvements  in  harvesting 
machines  which  followed  McCormick's  reaper  resulted  in  the  self-raking 
machine,  the  Marsh  harvester  and  the  self-binding  harvester  in  use  today. 

The  first  McCormick  reaper  cut  from  eight  to  twelve  acres  of  grain 
per  day.  One  man  drove  the  reaper.  Another  man  walked  behind  the 
reaper  and  raked  the  cut  grain  from  the  platform  of  the  machine  to  the 
ground  in  bunches  large  enough  to  be  tied  into  bundles.  Later  the  raker 
rode  on  a  seat  back  of  the  driver's  seat. 

Men,  usually  five  or  six  in  number,  then  bound  the  grain  by  hand, 
making  the  bands  from  each  bunch  of  grain  as  they  came  to  it.  The 
bound  grain  was  then  placed  in  shocks  of  eleven  or  twelve  bundles  each  by 
two  men  who  were  called  "the  shockers."  Two  acres  was  considered  a 
full  day's  work  for  a  binder  and  five  acres  for  a  shocker.  The  wages  of 
either  the  shocker  or  the  binder  was  about  two  dollars  per  day  up  until  the 
year  1880. 

The  McCormick  binder  was  followed  by  the  self-raking  machine  and 
by  the  Marsh  Harvester  as  it  was  called.  The  self-raking  reaper  raked 
off  the  grain  in  small  bunches  for  the  binder,  thus  saving  one  man's  labor. 
On  the  Marsh  harvester,  the  grain  was  elevated  to  a  platform  where  two 
men  standing  on  the  machine  bound  the  grain  into  bunches  by  hand,  using 
a  band  made  from  the  grain. 

The  Marsh  harvester  was  followed  by  the  self-binding  harvester.  The 
first  of  these  harvesters  made,  used  wire  for  bands.  But  the  wire  band 
soon  gave  place  to  the  Manila  twine  band.  This  is  the  twine  band  that  is 
used  today.  One  of  these  binders  with  one  driver  and  two  shockers  will 
put  in  shock  twenty  acres  of  grain  and  do  it  much  easier  than  nine  men 
put  ten  acres  in  shock  in  pioneer  days. 

,Making  a  band  by  hand  is  a  lost  art  today.  The  fear  that  he  may 
have  a  rattlesnake  in  his  armful  of  grain  no  longer  makes  a  cold  chill  run 
down  the  binder's  spine.  The  arduous  work  of  the  binder  in  stooping  for 
and  in  binding  the  grain  and  the  stubbed  fingers  and  scratched  arms 
caused  by  the  sharp  stubble  are  no  more,  and  the  harvesting  of  grain  has 
become  a  less  disagreeable  task. 

Harvesting  in   1925 

A  step  is  heard  upon  the  stairway — the  step  of  the  early  riser  on  the 
farm.  Every  ear  in  the  house  hears  the  sound.  It  is  an  unwelcome  sound 
to  some  for  every  muscle  of  the  body  is  sore  from  the  severe  labor  in  the 
harvest  field  of  yesterday. 

While  breakfast  is  eaten  and  the  chores  are  being  finished  there  is  a 
tenseness  in  the  air  as  before  a  battle,  for  today  again,  a  battle  is  to  be 
waged  against  the  standing  grain. 

Into  the  fields  from  seven  until  eight  o'clock  goes  an  army  of  reapers, 


36 


WETHERSF1EED     SKETCHES 


as  vast  as  that  army  which  faced  the  central  powers  of  Europe  in  1918. 
'Tis  an  army,  however,  whose  labors  are  essential  to  the  pursuits  of  peace. 

The  machines  are  oiled  and  looked  over  carefully,  a  nut  tightened  here, 
a  rod  shortened  there.  Horses  or  tractors  are  hitched  to  the  binders  and 
soon  the  cry  of  the  driver  is  heard  in  every  field. 

The  sun  pours  its  heat  down  upon  the  sweating  horses  and  toiling  men. 
The  water  boy,  that  future  farmer  in  embryo,  is  much  in  demand.  His 
water  quenches  the  thirst  of  the  men  and  produces  perspiration,  the  evap- 
oration of  which  keeps  the  temperature  of  the  body  nearly  normal. 

The  heat  grows  more  intense  as  the  sun  nears  the  zenith.  The  clothes 
of  the  workers  are  saturated  with  water  and  the  salty  sweat  from  their 
foreheads  finds  its  way  into  their  eyes,  making  them  smart  and  burn.  Care 
must  be  taken  not  to  overheat  the  body.  A  rise  of  one  or  two  degrees  in 
the  temperature  of  the  body  may  send  a  man  to  the  shade  and  out  of  the 
harvest  field  for  a  day  or  even  for  the  whole  season.  "Old  Sol"  is  no 
respecter  of  persons,  but  takes  his  toll  alike  from  the  seasoned  harvester 
as  well  as  from  him  who  is  new  at  the  work. 

Noontime  is  welcomed  by  all.  With  intense  satisfaction  the  horses 
sink  their  muzzles  into  the  water  tank  and  drink  their  fill.  Then,  in  their 
stalls  they  find  the  feed  of  oats  and  corn  which  gives  them  strength  to 
haul  the  heavy  binders  during  the  long  afternoon  to  follow. 

The  men  wash  the  dust  from  their  heated  faces  and  sit  down  at  the 
table  to  a  dinner  which  the  women-folks  have  been  planning  and  preparing 
all  forenoon,  a  dinner  both  wholesome  and  plentiful,  for  the  hungry  wolf 
never  starves  before  the  door  that  leads  to  a  farmer's  table. 

After  dinner  a  few  minutes  are  taken  for  rest.  Then  men  and  horses 
go  to  the  fields  again  to*  continue  the  labor  of  the  forenoon.  Thus,  harvest- 
ing goes  on  day  after  day  until  the  grain  is  all  in  the  shock  or  in  the  granary. 

Only  by  taking  their  places  in  the  fields  at  harvest  time  can  men  of 
other   occupations    realize    that,   with   all    the   modern    improvements   now 


.S3®*-'4  ••'V*i'' 


Harvesting    (1925) 


WETHERSF1ELP     SKETCHES 37 

used  by  the  farmer,  there  still  remains  a  lot  of  hard  and  sometimes  dis- 
agreeable work  in  harvesting  the  crops  of  wheat,  rye  and  barley. 

Threshing 

The  first  grain  in  the  township  was  threshed  out  with  the  flail  or 
tramped  out  by  horses  or  oxen  on  the  bare  ground  or  on  a  barn  floor.  The 
first  threshing  machine  consisted  of  a  cylinder  of  teeth  set  in  a  frame. 
This  machine  was  set  on  the  ground  and  fed  by  hand  Sheets  or  blankets 
Avere  spread  on  the  ground  to  catch  the  grain  and  the  straw  was  pitched 
away  or  was  "bucked"  away  with  a  rail  hitched  by  long  ropes  to  a  horse. 
The  power  used  was  a  team  of  horses. 

Frequent  stops  were  made  to  clean  up.  The  grain  was  scooped  from 
the  sheets  and  thrown  into  the  air  or  run  through  a  fanning-mill  to  clean  it. 
Fields  of  ten  acres  were  considered  large  in  those  days.  The  pioneer 
threshing  machine  was  followed  by  the  separator  on  wheels,  propelled  at 
first  by  horse  power  and  later  by  steam  or  gasoline. 

The  horse  power  separator  was  driven  by  five  to  six  pairs  of  horses. 
These  horses  fastened  to  sweeps  walked  in  a  circle  day  after  day  in  the 
heat  of  the  autumn  sun.  It  was  as  disagreeable  for  the  man  or  boy  who 
stood  on  the  horse-power  to  keep  the  horses  moving,  as  it  was  for  the 
horses  themselves.  It  was  a  fine  day  for  the  horse  when  steam  for  thresh- 
ing came  into  use.  His  gruelling  work  upon  the  old  horse  power  was  at 
an   end. 

The  first  self-propelled  steam  threshing  outfit  in  the  township  was  an 
Aultman  &  Taylor.  W.  H.  Rule  threshed  with  this  machine  in  the  fall  of 
1880.  H.  H.  Perkins  threshed  by  steam  power  two  years  before  this  time 
but  he  had  a  stationary  engine  which  was  drawn  from  place  to  place  with 
horses.  Even  after  the  steam  engine  became  self-propelling,  the  law  re- 
quired that  every  engine  have  a  team  of  horses  hitched  to  it  while  moving 
on  the  road.     Mr.  Rule  also  carried  the  first  hogs  to  market  by  auto  truck. 

The  Thresher  Today 

The  sun  rises,  a  ball  of  molten  fire  in  an  otherwise  clear  sky.  By  the 
time  the  sun  is  fairly  up  the  thresher  has  his  chores  well  out  of  the  way. 
Breakfast  over,  the  horses  are  hitched  up  and  the  rattle  of  wagons  is  heard 
as  the  thresher  hurries  on  his  way  to  the  threshing  field. 

By  eight  o'clock  the  work  is  fully  under  way,  the  loaded  wagons  are 
driven,  one  by  one,  to  the  separator  and  the  bundles  of  grain  are  pitched 
rapidly  and  orderly  into  the  elevator  which  carries  them  to  the  band  cutter 
and  cylinder.  The  sound  of  the  machine  tells  the  pitcher  of  bundles  at 
what  rate  to  pitch  the  bundles,  when  to  slow  up  and  when  to  pitch  faster. 

The  jokes  of  the  men  cease  by  ten  o'clock.  The  sun  pours  its  heat 
down  taking  toll  in  sweat  from  the  men  everywhere,  particularly  so  from 
the  men  stacking  straw.  The  more  water  the  men  drink,  the  more  they 
sweat  and  the  more  water  they  ask  for.  The  water-boy  is  much  in  demand. 
He  takes  goodnaturedly  the  water  which  is  thrown  upon  him  when  he  has 
allowed  the  water  in  his  jug  to  become  too  warm. 

At  last  twelve  o'clock  arrives,  the  hour  for  which  the  men  and  particu- 
larly the  growing  boys,  have  been  looking  forward  to  for  some  time.  The 
horses  are  unhitched,  rapidly  watered  and  fed.  The  men  find  the  wash- 
stand  and  bathe  their  flushed  faces  in  the  cool  water. 

The  word  now  comes  that  dinner  is  ready.  The  men  seat  themselves 
about  the  tables.  The  food  before  them  disappears  so  rapidly  as  to  bring 
smiles  to  the  faces  of  the  women-folks  who  have  spent  all  forenoon  in  pre- 


38 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


paring  the  dinner.  At  last,  unable  to  eat  more,  the  men  seek  the  shade  of 
the  trees  to  rest  a  few  minutes  before  beginning  the  work  of  the  afternoon. 

Soon  is  heard  the  whistle  of  the  engine  and  the  hum  of  the  separator. 
The  men  rise  from  the  ground  where  they  have  been  stretched  at  full  length 
telling  stories  or  chaffing  some  young  fellow  about  his  lassie.  They  are 
rested  and  though  their  muscles  may  still  ache  because  of  a  hard  fore- 
noon's work,  they  take  up  the  work  of  the  afternoon  without  complaining. 

So  the  work  of  the  thresher  goes  on  day  after  day  from  Texas  to 
Canada  and  from  California  to  Pennsylvania.  Truly  we  may  say  that  the 
thresher,  not  only  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow,  but  by  the  sweat  of  his  whole 
body,  does  his  share  in  producing  the  food  supply  of  the  world. 

First  Marriage 


Mr.    and    Mrs.    Hurd 

The  first  marriage  in  the  township  was  that  of  Dr.  Lewis  Hurd  and 
Caroline  W.  Little.  Mr.  Hurd  was  born  in  York  state.  Miss  Little  was  born 
at  Hollis,  N.  H.,  September  15,  1821.  She  came  to  Wethersfield,  111.,  with 
her  father,  Abner  B.  Little  in  the  fall  of  1836. 

While  visiting  with  her  sister  at  Layfayette,  111.,  Miss  Little  became 
acquainted  with  Mr.  Hurd  who  was  practicing  medicine  at  that  place.  In- 
teresting stories  are  told  of  how  Mr.  Hurd  found  his  way  across  the  prairies 
from  Layfayette  to  Wethersfield  where  his  sweetheart  lived. 

Their  short  courtship  was  carried  on  in  a  one-room  log  house  occupied 
by  fifteen  to  twenty  persons.  Calico  curtains  were  used  to  divide  off  the 
room  so  that  there  could  be  some  pretense  of  privacy  for  those  who  wished 
to  be   alone. 

They  were  married  Aug.  22,  1837  and  lived  in  the  east  until  1865  when 
they  returned  to  Wethersfield.  In  1887  they  celebrated  their  golden  wedding 
anniversary.  Mr.  Hurd  died  in  1892  and  Mrs.  Hurd  on  Oct.  8,  1903.  At  the 
time  of  her  death  Mrs.  Hurd  lived  at  the  old  homestead  of  Caleb  J.  T. 
Little  on  Payson  street. 

This  house  had  been  bought  by  the  Plurds  when  Mr.  Little  moved  to 
Kewanee.  It  was  considered  a  very  fine  house  at  that  time.  It  has  since 
been  torn  down  and  a  new  residence  erected  upon  its  site.  Thus  the  old 
landmarks,  like  the  old  settlers,  disappear  one  by  one;  and  just  as  new 
faces  take  the  places  of  the  pioneers,  so  the  new  residences  are  taking  the 
places  of  the  pioneer  buildings. 


The   Civic    League 

The  Wethersfield  Civic  League  was  formed  April  17,  1914.  The  stated 
object  of  this  league  was  to  improve  the  appearance  of  the  village.  A  day 
called  "Tin  Can  Day"  was  set.     On  that  day  a  gang  of  men  and  boys  with 


WETHERSFIEL.D     SKETCHES  39 


teams  cleaned  away  the  accumulated  trash  of  twenty  or  more  years.    This 
league  was  the  beginning  of  more  civic  pride  in  the  village. 

Old   Settlers'    Reunion 

In  1910  was  held  the  first  reunion  of  the  decendants  of  the  pioneers  of 
the  Wethersfield  colony.  A  few  families  met  in  the  yard  of  the  old  town 
hall  and  spent  a  pleasant  afternoon  in  visiting  and  in  talking  over  old  times. 

A  second  reunion  was  held  at  the  Wethersfield  town  hall  on  Thursday, 
Oct.  31,  1911.  A  permanent  organization  was  effected  with  the  following 
officers:  L.  D.  Quinn,  Pres.;  Charles  T.  Little,  Vice-Pres.;  Blanche  Page, 
Sec.  and  Treas. 

Among  the  old  settlers  present  at  this  meeting  were:  Mrs.  R.  A.  Little, 
William  Goodrich,  Robt.  C.  Page,  W.  C.  Kent,  E.  M.  Vail,  E.  Weeks,  H.  W. 
Weeks,  S.  T.  Miles,  W.  B.  McClure,  William  Guest,  H.  C.  Schuneman,  F.  E. 
Pratt,  L.  W.  Cavanaugh,  James  R.  Wylie,  W.  S.  Enslow,  J.  H.  Page,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  John  Malone,  A.  F.  Bigelow,  H.  Miner,  J.  S.  Smith,  Charles  Sultzer, 
E.  P.  Lincoln,  Ralph  R.  Little,  Wr.  J.  Wiley,  George  Dickinson,  J.  W.  Peterson, 
A.  A.  Enslow,  Albert  Monthe,  John  Stabler,  John  Buchanan,  H.  T.  Lay, 
S.  E.  Robb,  George  A.  Anthony,  William  Roberts,  Samuel  Russell,  William 
Chisnell,  John  Armstrong,  James  Ingham  and  Jas.  K.  Blish. 

The  invocation  was  given  by  Rev.  George  Armstrong  who  was  raised 
in  Wethersfield  township.  The  principal  address  was  given  by  Jas.  K. 
Blish  who  was  born  in  the  township.  The  following  are  abstracts  taken  from 
a  paper  prepared  and  read  by  Charles  T.  Little,  a  son  of  R.  A.  Little,  cne 
of  the  pioneers  of  the  Wethersfield  colony. 

"Wethersfield's  oldest  building  is  a  log  cabin  erected  by  Abner  B.  Little 
on  the  old  homestead  which  was  purchased  from  the  government  and  which 
is  still  owned  by  the  Little  family.  This  log  cabin  is  well  preserved  and  is 
16  by  18  feet.    In  the  winter  of  1837-38  it  was  the  home  of  sixteen  people. 

In  this  old  cabin  is  found  an  old  violincello,  the  first  musical  instrument 
of  any  kind  brought  to  the  township.  This  was  used  by  R.  Augustus  Little 
to  assist  him  in  leading  the  singing  as  chorister,  first  in  the  old  log  church 
and  later  in  the  more  modern  house  of  worship. 

Thomas  J.  Henderson,  now  deceased,  in  describing  this  tract  of  land 
as  he  first  saw  it,  said,  'It  was  a  bright,  beautiful  morning  in  the  early 
summer,  a  flood  of  sunlight  on  the  landscape  before  me,  gladdened  as  it  were 
by  the  rain  of  the  day  before.  I  thought  I  had  never  looked  upon  a  more 
glorious  scene.  For  miles  and  miles  stretching  away  in  every  direction  you 
could  see  as  fair  a  land  as  the  eye  of  man  ever  rested  upon.  It  was  so 
lovely  and  so  grand  that  for  a  time  we  stopped  to  take  in  its  full  grandeur 
and  beauty.' 

"The  lucifer  match  was  unknown,  flint  and  steel  being  kept  in  almost 
every  family,  and  even  then  one  neighbor  had  to  borrow  from  another. 
There  were  no  railroads  in  Illinois  in  1837,  no  telegraphs,  telephone,  no 
photographs,  ambrotypes  or  daguerotypes." 

Mr.  Little  concluded  his  paper  with  the  following  lines: 

"Under  the  sod  and  the  dew, 
Awaiting  the  judgment  day, 
Under  the  flowers  that  grew 

Lie   our  old   settlers  honored  and  gray. 

Their  struggles  and  worries  are  past, 
Their  struggles  and  hardships  are  o'er, 

They  have,  won  for  themselves  at  last, 
A  home  on  that  golden  shore. 


40 WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 

The  Wethersfield  settlers  are  there, 

Their  battle  of  life  has  been  won, 
Their  honors  and  glories  they  share, 

In  that  home  with  a  new  life  begun. 

The  noble  deeds  they  have  done 
Should  be  an  example  to  those, 
Who  on  life's  journey  have  just  begun, 
And  to  honor  them  to  life's  close." 

The  1911  meeting  was  closed  by  the  song,  "Wethersfield,"  which  was 
composed  and  sung  by  A.  D.   Cole. 

Wethersfield 

By  Spoon  river  gently  flowing, 

Wethersfield,  Wethersfield, 
O'er  thy  prairies  green  and  growing, 

Wethersfield 
Comes  an  echo  on  the  breeze, 

Rustling  through  the  leafy  trees, 
And  its  mellow  tones  are  these, 

Wethersfield,  Wethersfield, 
And  its  mellow  tones  are  these, 
Wethersfield. 

Not  without  thy  wondrous  story, 

Wethersfield,   Wethersfield, 
Can  be  writ  the  nation's  glory, 

Wethersfield,   Wethersfield, 
On  the  records  years  ago, 
Blish  and  Little's  names  you  know, 
Page  and  Potter  and  Goodrich  show, 

Wethersfield,  Wethersfield, 
Quinn  and  Baldwin  there  also, 
Wethersfield. 

From  a  wilderness  of  prairies, 

Wethersfield,  Wethersfield, 
Straight  thy  way  and  never  varies, 

Wethersfield, 
Till  upon  the  public  square, 
Planted  with  the  greatest  care, 
Trees  and  flowers  everywhere, 

Wethersfield,  Wethersfield, 
Trees  and  flowers  everywhere, 
Wethersfield. 

These  old  settlers'  reunions  have  been  held  nearly  every  year  since 
1911,  and  ought  to  be  continued.  As  the  old  settlers  pass  on  to  the  great 
beyond,  new  old  settlers  arise  to  take  their  places  to  carry  on  the  good 
work  already  begun. 

Farmer's  Mutual  Insurance 

The  Farmer's  Mutual  Insurance  Co.  of  Kewanee  was  incorporated  on 
May  26,  1875.  The  original  thirty-nine  policy  holders  carried  insurance  to 
the  value  of  $54,800.    The  territory  covered  by  this  company  comprises  the 


W  E  T 1 1 E  R  SFIELD     SK  E  T  C  H  K  S 41 

townships  of  Wethersfield,  Kewanee,  Annawan,  Cornwall,  Burns  and  Galva. 

In  1875  the  largest  policy  holder,  Sylvester  Lester,  carried  an  insurance 
of  $3,500.  Now  there  are  twenty-five  policy  holders  carrying  over  $10,000 
worth  of  insurance  each.  The  insurance  total  now  carried  aggregates  over 
$3,000,000. 

This  is  a  farmers'  company  insuring  farm  buildings  and  farm  stock  and 
farm  grain  against  loss  by  fire  and  lightning.  Levi  North,  the  first  secre- 
tary, wrote  the  first  thirty-nine  policies.  M.  S.  Craig,  the  present  secretary 
states  there  are  now  over  625  policy  holders  and  there  has  been  forty 
assessments  made  by  the  company  since  its  organization. 

Murder 

The  only  murder  to  occur  in  Wethersfield  township  was  that  of  Mrs. 
Maggie  A.  Copeland  on  August  26,  1882.  Sylvester  K.  Mackinson,  a  farm 
hand,  attacked  her  when  she  was  alone  on  her  husband's  farm  about  two 
miles  south  of  the  village.  After  striking  her  with  a  club,  he  shot  her 
through  the  body.  Mackinson,  whose  object  was  robbery,  was  tried  for 
murder.     He  was  hanged  at  Cambridge. 

Wiley's    Shop 

The  James  Wiley,  Sr.,  carriage  shop  at  the  corner  of  Church  and 
Tenney  streets  on  Lot  48  was  established  in  1852.  Mr.  Wiley  manufactured 
carriages  and  wagons  besides  doing  general  blacksmith  work. 

At  one  time  there  were  four  woodworkers,  five  blacksmiths,  three 
painters  and  three  carriage  trimmers  at  work  in  this  shop.  The  wagons  and 
carriages  made  here  had  a  wide  sale  over  the  surrounding  territory.  Many 
medals  were  taken  by  Mr.  Wiley  at  county  and  state  fairs. 

In  1921  A.  W.  Tharp  bought  the  property.  The  old  building  was  de- 
molished and  a  modern  oil  station  erected  on  its  site. 

Brewery 

Once  upon  a  time  the  village  of  Wethersfield  had  a  brewery.  It  is 
said  upon  good  authority  that  it  had  plenty  of  customers  even  beyond  the 
village  limits.  The  building  was  erected  by  Henry  Meier  on  Lot  39  in  the 
year  1870.     G.  Zeigler  also  ran  the  establishment  for  a  time. 

On  October  10,  1878,  the  building  was  bought  by  H.  Clay  Merritt  who 
turned  the  brewery  into  an  ice  house.  The  ice  was  obtained  from  a  pond 
made  by  a  dam  across  the  slough  south  of  Mill  street  and  between  Payson 
and  Hollis  streets.  The  building  and  land  were  sold  by  Mr.  Merritt  in  1891 
and  it  was  soon  afterward  torn  down. 

Oath   of  Office   in   1858 

In  1858  an  incoming  officer  not  only  took  oath  to  support  the  con- 
stitution of  the  United  States  and  of  his  own  state  and  to  perform  the  duties 
of  his  office  to  the  best  of  his  understanding,  but  was  obliged  to  subscribe 
to  the  following: 

"I  do  solemnly  swear  that  I  have  never  fought  a  duel  nor  sent  nor 
accepted  a  challenge  to  fight  a  duel,  the  probable  issue  of  which  might  have 
been  the  death  of  either  party,  nor  been  a  second  to  either  party,  nor  in  any 
manner  aided  or  assisted  in  such  duel  nor  knowingly  the  bearer  of  such 
challenge  or  acceptance  since  the  adoption  of  the  constitution,  and  that 
I  will  not  be  so  engaged  or  concerned  directly  or  indirectly  in  or  about 
such  duel  during  my  continuance  in  office." 


42  WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


Insect   Pests 


With  the  exceptions  of  the  potato  beetle,  Dorophora  decemilineata,  and 
coddling  moth,  Carpoeapsa  pomonella,  Wethersfield  township  has  had  no 
great  pests.  Since  1865  when  these  insects  first  began  their  depredations 
they  have  done  damage  to  the  extent  of  thousands  of  dollars  to  the  orchards 
and  potato  fields  of  the  township. 

In  the  late  70's  the  chintz  bug  made  the  raising  of  wheat  unprofitable. 
For  several  years  at  that  time,  hundreds  of  acres  of  the  infested  wheat 
fields  were  plowed  under  or  burned.  During  several  dry  seasons  in  the 
80's  and  90's  the  army  worm  did  considerable  damage  to  the  fields  of  small 
grain. 

In  the  late  80's  there  was  one  season  when  the  oat  crop  was  almost 
entirely  destroyed  by  grasshoppers.  The  grasshopper  while  at  work  gnawed 
the  filament  or  thread  which  held  the  oat  to  the  straw  and  the  oat  then 
fell  to  the  ground.  As  one  stood  at  the  edge  of  a  grasshopper-infested  field 
on  a  quiet  morning,  the  noise  made  by  the  falling  oats  could  be  distinctly 
heard. 

While  the  cut  worm  and  the  wire  worm  have  had  a  foot-hold  in  the 
township  since  the  early  days,  their  ravages  to  the  growing  corn  has  been 
largely  done  in  cold,  wet  seasons.  The  damage  by  these  two  insects  is 
done  during  the  few  weeks  that  they  are  growing  to  maturity. 


The  Experimental  Station 

In  1912  the  question  of  an  experiment  plot  was  agitated.  Among  the 
first  to  suggest  a  plot  of  this  kind  was  George  Anthony,  who  was  president 
of  the  Farmers'  Institute  at  that  time.  A  committee  consisting  of  George 
Anthony,  chairman;  Burt  Craig;  E.  J.  Ray;  J.  K.  McLennan  and  Ora  D. 
Hatch  was  appointed  to  look  up  the  matter. 

An  option  on  twenty  acres  of  land  lying  in  Section  8  belonging  to 
Burt  Craig  was  secured.  Subscription  papers  for  donations  were  circulated 
but  after  a  year,  not  enough  money  being  subscribed,  the  option  was  with- 
drawn and  all  efforts  to  secure  an  experiment  plot  ceased  for  a  time. 

Two  years  afterwards  the  matter  was  again  taken  up  by  the  Farmers' 
Institute.  O.  D.  Hatch  was  president,  F.  E.  Good,  secretary  and  Corliss 
Lay  treasurer  of  the  Institute.  An  option  was  secured  on  twenty  acres  of 
land  on  section  18,  owned  by  Thomas  and  John  McNarra.  Senator  Ran- 
dolph Boyd  was  secured  to  help  work  the  territory  at  Galva  where  several 
hundred  dollars  were  raised. 

The  subscriptions  were  taken  over  a  wide  territory  embracing  Toulon, 
Elmira,  Osceola,  Neponset,  Wethersfield  and  Kewanee.  The  Scotch  settle- 
ment southeast  of  Kewanee  donated  the  heaviest  for  the  enterprise.  With 
the  $5,000  raised,  the  land  was  bought  and  a  deed  for  the  property  secured. 
A  complete  list  of  the  donors  of  the  money  to  buy  the  plot  was  filed  at 
Cambridge. 

Mail 

In  1837  it  took  about  four  weeks  for  a  letter  to  come  from  the  New 
England  States  to  Peoria.  The  Wethersfield  people  got  their  mail  at  the 
postoffice  in  that  town.     The  postage  on  a  letter  was  twenty-five  cents. 

In  1838  a  postoffice  was  established  at  Wethersfield  and  Col.  Sylvester 
Blish  was  postmaster  until  1849.  Mail  came  by  Frink  and  Walker  stage. 
Freight  shipped  from  Boston  in  April  came  by  way  of  New  Orleans  and 
would  reach  the  colony  about  September  first. 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 43 

A  postoffice  was  continued  at  Wethersfield  many  years  after  the  rail- 
road came  to  Kewanee.  A  postoffice  was  also  established  at  Saxon,  of  which 
Chas.  G.  Robson  was  the  postmaster  for  nearly  forty  years. 

Both  of  these  postoffices  ceased  to  exist  when  the  rural  free  delivery 
act  was  passed  on  March  1,  1902.  Jay  Geer  was  mail  carrier  for  Route  2, 
which  carried  mail  for  the  northern  part  of  the  township.  His  salary  was 
$500  per  year  and  horse  hire. 

Street  Cars 

In  1902  street  car  lines  for  Wethersfield  and  Kewanee  were  agitated. 
A  part  of  the  road  bed  of  the  present  system  was  constructed  in  1903.  On 
August  21,  1903,  the  first  car  ran  on  a  part  of  the  line  only. 

In  1923  the  system  went  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver  and  the  cars 
stopped  running  for  ten  months.  In  1924  B.  F.  Lyons  of  Beloit,  Wis.  sub- 
mitted a  plan  by  which  he  would  take  over  the  street  car  system  provided 
he  was  given  a  franchise  for  furnishing  gas  and  electric  light  to  the  now 
city  of  Kewanee. 

The  election  to  vote  upon  the  "Lyons  Plan"  was  set  for  June  7,  1924, 
but  was  postponed  until  June  14,  1924.  The  election  resulted  as  follows: 
For  Public  Service  Franchise,  5,800;  against  Public  Service  Franchise,  2,117; 
for  Kewanee-Galva  Interuban  Railway  Franchise  5,747;  against  Kewanee- 
Galva  Railway  Franchise  2,058. 

Sidewalks 

In  the  early  days  of  the  village  there  were  no  sidewalks.  A  plank  or  a 
bridge  spanned  the  sloughs  and  mudholes.  Later  ashes  were  used  to  fill  the 
mudholes  and  for  sidewalks  on  most  of  the  used  streets. 

The  first  sidewalk  of  any  considerable  length  was  laid  on  Tenney  street 
between  Mill  street  and  Church  street.  Girls  who  then  attended  the  Sun- 
day school  at  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  then  standing  at  the  corner 
of  Church  and  Tenney  streets  determined  to  have  a  sidewalk  at  least  to 
the  church.  They  raised  money  to  buy  the  material  for  this  sidewalk  by 
soliciting  and  by  giving  socials,  and  the  men  folks  laid  the  walk.  Between 
1900  and  1905  the  first  cement  sidewalks  were  laid  in  the  village. 

Light  and  Gas 

The  electric  lights  were  installed  in  1905.  Gas  was  first  used  in  the 
village  in  the  same  year.     The  water  mains  were  laid  in  1922. 

State    Hard    Roads 

The  first  hard  road  entered  the  township  one  mile  north  of  its  south- 
west corner.  The  road  was  begun  at  Galva  in  1923  and  was  completed 
eastward  to  Indian  Creek  in  the  fall  of  that  year. 

In  1924  this  road  was  extended  northward  to  Kewanee.  The  Conway 
Construction  Company  finished  the  last  of  this  road  at  the  junction  of  Ten- 
ney and  McClure  streets  on  August  2,  1924,  at  8:10  p.  m.  This  road  cost 
between  twenty-five  and  thirty  thousand  dollars  per  mile.  The  opening  of 
the  road  was  celebrated  at  Kewanee  on  Nov.  25,  1924. 

Pavements 

The  first  piece  of  pavement  in  Wethersfield  was  laid  from  Hollis  street 
eastward  on  Division  street  in  1914.    The  Central  Engineering  Co.  of  Dav- 


14 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


enport,  Iowa,  began  the  work  of  grading  Tenney  street  between  Division 
street  and  McClure  street  on  Sept.  6,  1924.  The  first  concrete  on  this  piece 
of  pavement  was  poured  on  Oct.  6,  1924,  and  the  last  on  Nov.  3,  1924.  The 
pavement  was  open  to  traffic  on  Nov.  20,  1924. 

Annexation 

From  time  to  time  attempts  had  been  made  to  annex  Wethersfield  to 
Kewanee.  These  attempts  all  failed  until  1924.  In  that  year  on  the  2nd  of 
June  a  special  election  was  held  in  the  village  to  vote  again  upon  the  ques- 
tion of  annexation.  The  vote  resulted  in  468  for  annexation  and  101  against 
annexation. 

On  Thursday,  June  30,  1924,  Kewanee  voted  on  allowing  the  annexation 
with  the  following  result:  831  for  annexation  and  200  against  annexation. 
With  this  election  the  village  or  town  of  Wethersfield  became  a  part  of  the 
city  of  Kewanee.  The  1920  census  gave  Kewanee  a  population  of  16,026 
and  the  annexed  village  of  Wethersfield  1,960,  making  a  total  population 
of  17,986. 

A.    C.   Taylor   Company 


A.   C.   Taylor   &  Co. 

The  A.  C.  Taylor  Company  was  started  at  105-09  Church  street  in  1900. 
At  that  time  the  store  building  covered  400  square  feet  of  space.  The 
business  now  occupies  three  buildings  with  a  total  floor  space  of  49,000 
square  feet.     The  average  number  of  employees  is  eighteen. 

In  1924  the  business  was  incorporated  under  the  name  of  A.  C.  Taylor 
&  Son  Company  with  A.  C.  Taylor,  president,  and  E.  G.  Taylor,  treasurer 
and  general  manager.  The  principal  lines  of  goods  handled  are  automobiles, 
hardware,  implements,  furnaces,  radios,  Oil-O-Matic  burners,  etc.  Garage 
work  and  blacksmithing  is  also  done. 


The  Store  on  Lot  64 

This  lot  was  bought  of  Simon  Bennett  on  July  27,  1897,  by  George  H. 
Rice.  Mr.  Rice  built  the  present  store  and  used  it  for  a  time  as  a  barber 
shop  and  confectionery  store.  The  store  became  the  property  of  Fred  E. 
Terry,  April  1,  1901,  who  sold  it  to  Verne  Nobiling  April  11,  1908.  It  is  now 
owned  by  H.  R.  Radford.  It  is  rented  to  T.  M.  Lowry  who  conducts  a 
grocery   store. 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


45 


Barber    Shop 

After  George  H.  Rice  sold  out,  Joseph  Selph  ran  a  shop  about  1906, 
but  for  a  few  years  only.  The  first  permanent  barber  shop  was  established 
by  Edward  Watson  in  1914.  He  is  still  doing  business  in  the  shop  built 
by  Verne  Nobiling  and  now  owned  by  H.  R.  Radford. 

The  Store  on   Lot  65 

The  store  on  lot  65  was  erected  by  C.  F.  Kurbat  in  1903.  Mr.  Kurbat 
was  in  the  grocery  business  here  until  about  1920  when  his  son,  C.  A. 
Kurbat,  bought  his  father's  property.  He  continued  the  grocery  business 
until  1924  and  then  rented  the  store  room  to  N.  F.  Fischer  who  continued 
the  grocery  business. 

The  south  room  of  the  building  is  occupied  by  Will  Arnold  who  carries 
all  lines  of  confectionery  as  well  as  beauty  and  barber  supplies. 

The  Blue  Goose  Restaurant 

The  Blue  Goose  restaurant  at  the  corner  of  Church  and  Tenney  streets 
was  erected  in  1924.  This  restaurant  serves  hot  meals  and  quick  lunches 
at  all  hours.  It  also  carries  all  lines  of  confectionery-  Mrs.  Carrie  Richter 
is  the  proprietor. 

Huffman    Motor   Company 

The  Huffman  Motor  Company  is  situated  in  the  Baker  building,  336 
Tenney  street.    This  company  is  distributor  of  Buick  sales  and  service. 


46  WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


FOREWORD 


The  pages  which  immediately  follow  are  dedicated  to  the  boys  and 
girls  who  have  graduated  from  the  Wethersfield  high  school. 

The  author  herein  wishes  to  thank  all  who  have  aided  him  in  gather- 
ing material  for  this  work  on  the  schools  of  Wethersfield  township.  Some 
errors  have  unintentionally  been  made  in  compiling  the  records.  For  such 
errors  we  humbly  ask  your  forbearance.  We  hope,  however,  that  the  follow- 
ing pages  may  help  you  to  remember  your  old  school  days. 

In  your  care  of  children,  whether  as  parent  or  teacher,  we  would  have 
you  remember,  too,  your  childhood  days,  your  early  need  of  careful  training. 
Learn  to  love  children,  not  only  your  own,  but  all  children.  Remember  that 
a  child  can  become  all  that  is  good  and  noble  or  it  can  become  like  the  in- 
mates of  our  jails  and  prisons.  It  depends  entirely  upon  the  training  re- 
ceived in  the  home,  in  the  school  and  in  the  church. 

We  have  seen  a  vine  left  without  care,  spread  all  over  the  ground  and 
become  an  unsightly  mass.  We  have  also  seen  another  vine  trained  up- 
right and  orderly  so  as  to  become  a  beautiful  sight.  The  child  needs  the 
careful  training  of  the  upright  vine.  It  is  better  to  err,  if  err  at  all,  on 
the  side  of  too  much  firmness  and  too  close  supervision  of  the  associates 
of  your  children  and  pupils. 

As  we  grow  older,  we  think  more  of  the  reasons  why  man  is  put  on 
the  earth.  As  we  see  them,  these  reasons  are  four-fold.  First,  man  was 
put  here  to  work,  for  it  is  only  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow  that  he  can  live 
and  only  can  he  be  happy  when  he  loves  the  work  his  hands  find  to  do. 
Second,  man  was  put  here  to  enjoy  the  beauty  in  nature,  the  flowers,  the 
song  of  the  birds,  the  beautiful  cloud  colors,  the  green  fields  of  summer 
and  the  snow-clad  hills  of  winter. 

Third,  man  was  put  here  to  help  by  example,  precept  and  teaching 
to  make  the  children  of  today  gentle,  honest,  industrious  and  frugal,  that 
they  may  become  of  a  higher  type  of  manhood  and  womanhood  than  any 
preceding  generation.  And  fourth,  man  was  put  here  to  do  good  by  lending 
a  helping  hand  to  those  in  need,  to  sorrow  with  those  in  trouble  and  to 
cheer  with  a  smile  or  a  kind  word  some  lonely  soul  on  its  way. 

Some    Days 

Some  days  are  dark  and  dreary, 

No  ray  of  light  breaks  through, 
But  could  we  see  beyond  the  clouds, 

We'd  find  the  skies  still  blue. 

We'd  find  above  those  storm-clouds  low, 

A  sun  that's  brightly  shining 
And  that  the  darkest  cloud  of  all, 

Still  has  a  silver  lining. 

Thus  may  come  some  days  to  us, 

As  at  our  tasks  we  go, 
When  life  seems  dark  and  dreary, 

As    storm-clouds   hanging   low. 

But  love  for  the  work  we  do, 

Will  brighten  the  day's  declining, 
As  the  sun  in  the  sky  above, 

Silvers  the   storm-cloud's  lining. 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


Wethersfield  Schools 


I     * 

m             9  E 

jiiamniiaiSI 

MB       3  ^ 

The   School 

The  public  school  is  the  one  institution  above  all  others  that  tends 
toward  equality  among  men.  It  breaks  down  rank  and  caste,  relics  of 
ancient  and  medieval  barbarism,  and  it  gives  to  the  present  and  future 
generations  the  experiences  of  the  generations  which  have  preceded  them. 

The   Pupil 

The  pupil  comes  into  the  school  room  at  the  age  of  six  years.  Un- 
taught, untrained  in  many  cases  he  stands  at  that  time  on  the  threshold 
of  a  door  that  will  open  for  him  the  wisdom  of  all  ages. 

As  the  dewy  petals  of  the  rose  unfold  in  the  light  and  warmth  of  the 
sun,  so  the  pupil's  mind  and  life  unfold  under  the  benign  influences  of  the 
schoolroom.  He  measures  himself  by  what  he  accomplishes;  his  confidence 
in  himself  increases  as  he  conquers  the  tasks  before  him  and  his  heart  is 
filled  to  over-flowing  with  the  joys  of  doing  and  of  knowing. 

The    Teacher 

The  surgeon  with  his  knife  may  perform  the  most  delicate  operation, 
the  artist  with  his  colors  may  produce  a  masterpiece  and  the  sculptor  from 
his  clay  may  mold  a  form  that  is  almost  perfect;  but  the  teacher  who, 
with  patience,  perseverance  and  sacrifice  of  self,  guides  the  children  of  her 
school  toward  perfect  manhood  and  perfect  womanhood,  is  the  greatest 
among  them  all. 


The    First   School 

The  first  school  in  Wethersfield  township,  also  the  first  in  Henry  county 
was  taught  by  Parmelia  Stewart  in  the  summer  of  1839.  The  school  was 
kept  in  the  old  log  church  which  stood  a  few  feet  northeast  of  the  corner 
formed  by  Tenney  and  Church  streets  on  Lot  49. 

The  seats  in  this  building  were  of  slabs  split  from  logs.  Wooden  pins 
driven  into  auger  holes  served  for  legs.  There  were  no  backs  to  the  seats. 
The  pupils  sat  upon  these  seats  holding  their  books  in  their  laps.  The 
school  books  were  gathered  up  at  the  end  of  each  week  to  get  them  out 
of  the  way  for  Sunday  services  which  were  held  in  this  building  for  several 
years  after  the  colony  started. 


48 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


There  were  five  girls  and  eight  boys  in  Miss  Stewart's  school.  Among 
the  boys  was  William  Bryan,  afterwards  Captain  William  Bryan,  who  was 
killed  in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga  Creek  on  September  19,  1863.  He  was 
buried  in  the  family  lot  in  the  village  cemetery. 

In  that  summer  of  1839  when  Parmelia  Stewart  taught  her  little  school 
in  the  old  log  church  at  the  corner  of  Tenney  and  Church  streets,  she  little 
dreamed  what  the  next  eighty  years  would  bring  forth  in  the  way  of  schools 
in  that  little  settlement  of  which  she  was  the  pioneer  school  ma'am. 

In  the  eighty-seven  years  since  that  time  the  village  school  has  shown 
a  steady  growth.  In  1903  there  were  two  hundred  and  sixty  pupils;  in  1915 
there  were  four  hundred  and  forty-one  pupils  and  in  1924-25  there  were 
four  hundred  and  seventy-five. 

In  the  year  1907-08  teachers  of  the  district  were  paid  $4,009.39.  The 
fuel  for  the  year  cost  $315.51;  the  janitor's  wages  for  the  year  was  $360.00. 
The  distribution  was  $572.36.  In  1914-15,  $6,463.15  was  paid  for  teachers  of 
both  high  school  and  grade  school  pupils.  In  1923-24,  $24,232.50  was  paid 
for  the  teachers  of  the  high  and  grade  school  pupils. 

Among  the  teachers  who  taught  for  several  years  in  this  school  were: 
Helen  C.  Power,  Anna  Fraser,  Flora  E.  Whitwell,  Nellie  V.  Grier,  Delia  G. 
Donaldson,  Ada  B.  Robbins,  Mary  E.  Grubbs,  Emma  J.  Carlson,  Agnes  A. 
Fraser,  Caroline  V.  Ewan,  Noel  E.  Craig,  Rena  D.  Partridge,  Marjorie  V. 
Brown,  Frank  H.  Craig  and  Chas.  E.  Decker. 

The  First  School  Building 

School  was  first  held  in  the  old  log  church,  but  in  the  fall  of  1839  a 
school  house  18  by  24  feet  was  erected  on  the  east  side  of  Tenney  street. 
In  1850  this  building  was  moved  across  Tenney  street  to  Lot  65  where  school 
grounds  had  been  purchased. 

This  building  was  one  story  high.  It  served  for  a  school  room  until  1866. 
In  that  year  the  building  was  sold  to  Joshua  Cole  and  moved  to  his  farm 
south  east  of  the  village.  The  farm  is  now  owned  by  O.  E.  Myers  and  the 
old  school  house  is  used  for  a  granary. 

The  South    Brick   Building 

In  1856  the  Wethersfield  Baptist  church  association  began  the  erection 
of  a  brick  church  on  Lot  76.  Before  it  was  completed,  it  was  sold  to  the 
trustees  of  the  Wethersfield  school  district.  The  building  was  completed 
and  used  for  school  purposes  until  1903. 


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The   South    Brick 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


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The   Old   Academy 

On  the  evening  of  Jan.  22,  1856,  according  to  a  previous  call,  the  citizens 
of  Wethersfield  and  Kewanee  assembled  in  the  Congregational  church  of 
Wethersfield  to  form  an  association  whose  purpose  was  the  erection  of  a 
seminary   of  learning. 

At  this  meeting  on  motion  by  O.  H.  Loomis,  a  committee  of  six  persons 
was  appointed  to  draft  a  constitution  and  by-laws  for  the  government  of 
the  proposed  seminary.  This  committee  consisted  of  I.  F.  Willard,  G.  A. 
Morse,  M.  B.  Potter,  L.  H.  Howe,  O.  H.  Loomis  and  H.  G.  Little.  Three 
thousand  dollars  were  subscribed  towards  the  seminary  at  this  meeting. 

The  next  meeting  was  held  in  the  Congregational  church  in  Kewanee  on 
Feb.  22,  1856.  Meanwhile  the  subscriptions  for  the  seminary  had  been  in- 
creased to  $5,025.  The  committee  on  the  constitution  and  by-laws  sub- 
mitted the  following  rules  and  regulations: 

CONSTITUTION  AND  BY-LAWS 
Article  1:  This  institution  shall  be  called  the  Union  Seminary  Institute. 
Article  2:  Its  officers  shall  be  a  president,  secretary  and  treasurer  who 


50 WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 

shall  hold  their  offices  for  one  year  and  until  their  successors  are  elected, 
and  shall  perform  the  duties  usually  pertaining  to  their  offices. 

Article  3:  There  shall  also  be  elected  annually  a  board  of  seven 
trustees  for  said  seminary  whose  duties  shall  be  to  receive  and  hold  for 
use  and  benefit  of  said  seminary  all  conveyances  of  property  and  donations 
for  the  same,  to  solicit  and  collect  subscriptions  therefor  and  to  superintend 
and  take  charge  of  the  designing  and  construction  of  the  seminary  building 
and  to  do  and  perform  all  the  duties  provided  by  law  according  to  the 
statute  in  such  made  and  provided. 

Article  4:  There  shall  be  chosen  annually  a  board  of  directors  to  consist 
of  five  persons  and  who  shall  be  stockholders  in  the  institution  and  of  whom 
the  president  and  secretary  shall  be  members  and  whose  duty  shall  be  to 
procure  teachers  for  the  seminary  and  have  general  superintendence  and 
control  over  the  scholars  and  teachers  of  the  same,  but  subject  to  the  con- 
trol of  the  stockholders. 

Article  5:  The  stock  of  this  seminary  shall  be  divided  into  shares  of 
$25  each.  Each  share  to  be  entitled  to  one  vote  in  all  meetings  of  the 
stockholders. 

Article  6:  The  president  and  secretary  shall  issue  certificates  of  stock 
to  the  stockholders  and  each  certificate  shall  be  assignable  by  endorsement 
of  the  same,  and  the  secretary  shall  note  all  such  assignments  in  the  records 
of  the  institution. 

Article  7 :  The  mode  of  electing  all  officers  shall  be  by  ballot.  And  the 
time  of  electing  all  permanent  officers  of  the  seminary  shall  be  the  17th 
day  of  March,  annually. 

Article  8:  No  person  shall  be  eligible  for  any  office  provided  by  this 
constitution  who  is  not  a  stockholder  of  the  seminary,  and  children  of  the 
stockholders  shall  have  a  preference  in  said  institution  over  all  others. 

Article  9:  At  the  commencement  of  the  second  year  after  said  seminary 
is  commenced,  in  estimating  the  general  expenses  of  the  same,  six  per 
cent  interest  on  the  money  paid  in,  shall  be  considered  a  part  of  said  ex- 
penses, and  each  stockholder  at  the  annual  meeting  next  thereafter  may 
draw  upon  the  treasurer  for  his  proportion  of  the  same  according  to  his 
share  of  stock  paid  in. 

Article  10:  The  teachers  of  the  seminary  shall  be  paid  a  fixed  salary 
for  their  services  and  each  stockholder  who  shall  send  a  child  or  children 
to  said  seminary  shall  bear  his  proportion  of  the  same  according  to  the 
number  of  children  he  sends,  and  the  tuition  shall  be  fixed  as  to  equal  the 
whole  expense  of  the  seminary  after  deducting  all  incomes  arising  from 
other  sources. 

Article  11:  This  constitution  and  such  by-laws  as  may  be  adopted  in 
accordance  therewith  may  be  amended  (so  as  not  to  conflict  with  the  law) 
at  any  regular  meeting  of  the  stockholders,  by  vote  of  two-thirds  of  the 
stockholders  present  and  voting;  five  days  previous  notice  of  such  meetings 
and  of  the  amendment  proposed  having  been  given  by  publication  in  some 
newspaper  in  general  circulation  in  the  vicinity  or  by  posting  up  written 
notice  in  three  of  the  most  public  places  in  the  vicinity. 

Article  12:  A  meeting  of  the  stockholders  shall  be  called  any  time  by 
the  president  and  secretary  on  the  request  of  three  stockholders,  and  five 
stockholders  shall  constitute  a  quorum  for  the  transaction  of  business,  pro- 
vided notice  thereof  shall  have  been  given  as  provided  for  by  article  11. 

On  March  17,  1856,  the  stockholders  of  the  Union  Seminary  met  in  the 
west  school  house  in  Kewanee  and  elected  the  officers  called  for  by  the 
constitution. 

M.  B.  Ogden  was  given  $40.80  for  traveling  expenses  to  see  the  seminary 
at  Racine  and  $30.00  for  plans  of  the  building.    The  erection  of  the  seminary 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 51 

was  begun  May  20,  1856,  and  it  was  completed  the  same  year.  The  building 
was  40  by  60  feet,  two  stories  high  and  had  a  cupola.  It  was  erected  on  a 
lot  of  two  and  one-half  acres  on  south  Chestnut  street.  The  lot  was  donated 
by  James  Elliott.  The  lower  part  of  the  building  at  first  was  used  as  a  hall 
for  lyceums  and  public  lectures  and  the  upper  part  for  a  schoolroom. 

During  1862  a  set  of  rules  and  regulations  and  a  course  of  study  were 
printed  at  the  Kewanee  Book  and  Job  office.  The  following  extracts  are 
taken  from  this,  the  first  printed  course  of  study  for  the  Kewanee  and 
Wethersfield  schools. 

RULES  AND  REGULATIONS  OF  THE  BOARD  OF  EDUCATION   FOR  THE 
GOVERNMENT  OF  THE   KEWANEE  AND  WETHERSFIELD 
PUBLIC   SCHOOLS 

Board  of  Education— Wm.  H.  Blish,  M.  D.  Hill,  Zerah  Chapin,  Nelson 
Lay,  G.  A.  Morse,  G.  D.  Elliot. 

Board  of  Instruction — High  School,  M.  Tabor,  Principal,  Lina  West- 
cott,  Ass't;  Grammer  School,  Miss  Mary  Bachelder,  Principal;  Intermediate 
Schools,  Wethersfield,  Miss  H.  M.  Peck,  Principal,  Miss  Jennie  Little,  Ass't; 
Kewanee,  Miss  Izzie  E.  Brown,  Principal,  Miss  Laura  Pratt,  Ass't;  Primary 
School,  Miss  F.  E.  Brown,  Principal,  Miss  Ella  Way,  Ass't. 

Preface 
"The  Board  of  Education  of  Kewanee  and  Wethersfield  are  fully  con- 
vinced that  the  Union  School  System,  if  perfectly  established  and  judicious- 
ly managed,  affords  facilities  for  the  education  of  the  rising  generation  far 
superior  to  the  system  heretofore  adopted. 

The  most  prominent  features  of  this  system  of  schools  are :  The  erection 
of  good  school  buildings  constructed  with  reference  to  health  and  comfort 
of  the  pupils;  the  proper  graduation  of  the  schools  and  classification  of  the 
scholars;  a  systematic  course  of  instruction;  a  judicious  selection  of  teach- 
ers and  the  adoption  of  means  for  their  continual  improvement;  a  vigorous 
supervision  of  the  whole  system;  and  finally,  the  affording  of  equal  educa- 
tional privileges  to  all  the  children  of  the  community. 

For  the  purpose  of  giving  greater  efficiency  to  the  schools,  and  in  order 

to  awaken  more  thoroughly  the  interest  of  the  community  on  the  subject 

of  Education,  we  have  caused  these  Rules  and  Regulations  to  be  published. 

They    have    been    carefully  prepared    and    after    mature    deliberation, 

adopted." 

Wm.    H.   Blish, 
M.  D.  Hill, 
Zerah  Chapin, 
Nelson  Lay, 
Geo.  A.  Morse, 
George  D.  Elliott. 

Chapter  1 

Section  1,  of  Terms,  Vacation,  etc.,  reads:  "The  school  year  shall  con- 
sist of  forty  weeks.  The  first  term  shall  commence  on  the  first  Monday  of 
September  and  continue  sixteen  weeks.  The  second  term  shall  commence 
on  the  first  Monday  of  January  and  continue  twelve  weeks.  The  third 
term  shall  commence  on  the  second  Monday  of  April  and  continue  twelve 
weeks." 

Section  2.  "The  schools  shall  be  discontinued  on  all  Thanksgiving  and 
Fastdays  authorized  by  civil  authority.  The  superintendent,  with  the  con- 
sent of  the  Board  of  Education,  may  suspend  the  schools  on  such  occasions 
as  he  may  think  proper." 


UNIVERSITY  OF 

H1IN0JS  JJR.Qaov 


52 WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 

Section  3:  "The  schools  shall  be  in  session  live  days  in  each  week  and 
six  hours  each  day  omitting  Saturdays." 

Chapter  2 

Grades  of  Schools 

Section  1.     The  Public  Schools  of  Kewanee  and  Wethersfield  shall  be 

divided  into  four  grades,  designated  the  Primary,  Secondary,  Grammar  and 

High  Schools.     There  shall  also  be  in  addition  to  these  when  circumstances 

shall  justify,  Unclassified  Schools  or  Departments. 

Section  2.  Scholars  who  have  attended  the  school  during  the  previous 
term  shall  enter  the  department  to  which  they  respectively  belong,  or  to 
which  they  have  been  transferred  by  examinations. 

Section  3.  Scholars  who  have  not  attended  the  school  during  the  pre- 
vious term,  on  entering  for  the  first  time,  shall  go  to  the  school  to  which 
they  think  they  belong,  and  on  examination  they  will  be  assigned  the  placp 
for  which  they  are  qualified. 

Section  4.  Scholars  residing  within  the  Kewanee  and  Wethersfield  dis- 
tricts may  be  admitted  into  school  on  any  day  during  the  first  week  of  the 
term,  and  on  Monday  of  each  succeeding  week  of  the  term,  but  at  no  other 
time  without  the  order  of  the  Board  of  Education. 

Section  5.  Scholars  not  residing  in  the  Kewanee  and  Wethersfield  dis- 
tricts may  be  admitted  to  any  school  for  which,  on  examination,  they  are 
found  qualified,  by  paying  in  advance  the  following  rates  of  tuition  per 
term  of  twelve  weeks: 

Primary  Schools $2.00 

Grammar  Schools  , 3.50 

Secondary  Schools  2.50 

High   Schools   4.50 

Unclassified 3.00 

Languages 5.00 

Music  and  Drawing  Extra. 
Tuition  charged  from  the  time  the  pupils  enter  school  to  the  close  of 
term.     No  deduction  made  for  absence  of  pupil,  except  in  case  of  sickness. 
Section   6.  Non-resident  scholars  shall  not  be  allowed  to  occupy  desk 
seats  to  the  exclusion  of  resident  scholars. 

Chapter  3      (Prepared  by  Mr.  Tabor) 

Course   of    Instruction 

Primary    Departments 

Third  Class — Elements  of  reading  taught  from  cards,  blackboard  and 
first  reader.  Drawing  and  printing  on  slates. — Miscellaneous  Oral  Instruc- 
tion. All  words  in  the  First  Reader  learned  so  as  to  be  named  at  sight 
and  readily  spelled. 

Second  Class — Reading,  Oral  Geography,  Oral  Arithmetic,  Printing 
spelling  lessons  on  slates,  Marks  of  Punctuation,  all  words  in  Second  Reader 
learned  so  as  to  be  named  and  readily  spelled. 

First  Class — Third  Reader  to  40th  lesson,  Oral  Geography,  Elements  of 
Map  Drawing,  Oral  Arithmetic,  Sounds  of  Letters,  Oral  Instruction  on 
familiar  subjects,  Writing  and  Printing  on  slates  and  blackboards. 

Secondary  Department 

Third  Class — Third  Reader  completed,  Geography  from  Outline  Maps, 
Mental  Arithmetic  to  Fractions,  Writing,  Miscellaneous  Oral  instruction, 
Map-drawing  on  slates. 

Second  Class — Fourth  Reader  commenced,  Mental  Arithmetic  complet- 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 53 

ed,  Geography  commenced  as  a  study,  Writing,  Map-drawing  on  slates,  Oral 
Instruction. 

First  Class — Fourth  Reader  completed,  Intellectual  Arithmetic  com- 
menced, Geography  continued,  Writing,  Map-drawing,  Oral  Instruction. 

Grammar  Department 

Third  Class — Fifth  Reader  commenced,  Intellectual  Arithmetic  com- 
pleted, Practical  Arithmetic  to  Fractions,  Geography  with  use  of  Outline 
Maps,    Map-drawing,   Writing. 

Second  Class — Fifth  Reader  continued,  Practical  Arithmetic  to  page  12, 
Grammar  commenced,  Writing,  Geography  and  Map-drawing. 

First  Class — Fifth  Reader  completed,  Practical  Arithmetic  to  page  205, 
Grammar  continued,  Geography  completed,  History  of  the  United  States, 
Writing. 

High  School 
English    Course — First    Year 

First  Term — Arithmetic,  English  Grammar  and  Physiology. 
Second  Term — iVrithmetic,  English  Grammar  and  Physiology. 
Third  Term — Arithmetic  completed,  Grammar  and  Algebra. 

Second  Year 
First  Term — Algebra,  Physical  Geography,  English  Composition. 
Second  Term — Geometry,  Physical  Geography  or  Geology. 
Third   Term — Geometry,   Rhetoric  and   Botany. 

Third    Year 
First  Term — Geometry,  Nat.  Philosophy  and  Botany. 
Second  Term — Algebra,  Nat.  Philosophy  and  History. 
Third  Term — Algebra,   Chemistry  and  History. 

Fourth  Year 
First  Term — Moral  Science,  Chemistry  and  Trigonometry. 
Second  Term — Elements  of  Criticism,  Mental  Philosophy  and  Surveying. 
Third  Term — Astronomy,  Mental  Philosophy,  Political  Economy. 

English   and    Latin    Course 
Identical  with  English  Course  the  first  year. 
Second    Year 
First  Term — Algebra,  Physical  Geography  and  Latin  Lessons. 
Second    Term — Geometry,    Physical    Geography    or    Geology    and    Latin 
Lessons. 

Third  Term — Geometry,  Rhetoric  and  Latin  Grammar  and  Reader. 

Third    Year 
First  Term — Geometry,  Nat.  Philosophy  and  Cicero. 
Second  Term — Algebra,  Nat.  Philosophy,  Cicero  and  Virgil. 
Third  Term — Algebra,  Chemistry  and  Virgil. 

Fourth    Term 
First  Term — Moral  Science,  Chemistry  and  Virgil. 
Second  Term — Elements  of  Criticism,  Mental  Philosophy  and  Horace. 
Third  Term — Astronomy,  Mental  Philosophy  and  Horace. 

Classical    Preparatory   Course. 
Second  Year 
Identical  with  High  and  Latin  courses  of  the  first  year. 
First  Term — English     Composition,     Physical     Geography     and     Latin 
Lessons. 


54  WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


Second  Term — English  Composition,  Physical  Geography  or  Geology  and 
Latin  Lessons. 

Third  Term — Greek  Lessons  Latin  Grammar  and  Reader. 

Third    Year 
First  Term — Greek  Lessons  and  Cicero. 
Second  Term — Greek  Grammar,  Reader  and  Cicero. 
Third  Term — Greek  Grammar,  Reader  and  Virgil. 

Fourth  Year 
First  Term — Ancient  Geography,  Anabasis  and  Virgil. 
Second  Term — History,  Virgil   and  Horace. 
Third  Term — Anabasis  and  Horace. 

Declamations,  Recitations  of  Poetry  and  Composition  throughout  the 
course. 

Reading  and  Spelling  three  years. 

Writing  at  the  option  of  the  teachers. 

English  Synonyms  and  study  of  words. 

Original  Declamations,  two  each  term  during  the  fourth  year. 

Chapter  five  dealt  with  examinations  and  promotions.  Two  of  the  three 
sections  in  this  chapter  are  here  given : 

Section  1.  At  the  close  of  each  term,  the  classes  of  the  High  School 
shall  have  a  day  assigned  them  for  a  rigid  written  test  of  twenty-five 
questions  on  each  study  completed;  but  at  the  close  of  the  school  year,  a 
written  test  shall  be  required  of  every  study  of  the  last  term.  Similar 
examinations,  oral  or  written,  shall  be  conducted  under  the  supervision  of 
the  Superintendent,  near  the  close  of  each  term,  in  the  Grammar  school, 
Secondary  and  Primary  Departments. 

Section  3.  At  the  close  of  the  second  term  in  each  year,  there  shall 
be  a  Public  Examination  of  all  the  classes  in  the  different  schools. 

Chapter  five  gave  the  duties  of  the  Superintendent.  For  the  first  time 
the  superintendent,  M.  Tabor,  devoted  a  considerable  part  of  his  time  to 
supervision.  Two  forenoons  in  each  week  were  devoted  to  supervision  of 
the  Kewanee  schools  and  one  to  the  Wethersfield  schools. 

Chapter  seven  gave  the  rules  for  government  of  the  schools.  Two  sec- 
tions are  given  below: 

Section  1.  "The  subject  of  School  Discipline  is  one  of  the  highest  im- 
portance. One  has  well  said,  'If  there  is  any  place  on  the  surface  of  the 
earth  where  order  is  the  first  and  last  and  highest  law,  that  place  is  the 
schoolroom.     Without  it  there  can  be  no  such  thing  as  progress." 

Section  2.  "The  means  of  disciplining  a  school  are  so  various  and  depend 
so  much  on  the  experience,  intelligence  and  skill  of  the  teacher,  that  no 
precise  rule  can  be  adopted.  The  teacher  must  be  even  and  uniform  in 
his  discipline.  The  pupil  should  feel  that  the  teacher  says  what  he  means 
and  means  what  he  says.  If  strict  in  discipline  today  and  lax  tomorrow;  if 
he  punishes  an  offence  at  one  time  which  he  disregards  at  another;  how 
can  he  secure  the  uniform  good  behavior  of  his  pupils  so  much  admired  in 
every  well-governed  school." 

Chapter  eight  and  the  last  chapter  of  the  Rules  and  Regulations  gave 
the  duties  af  pupils  of  the  schools.  There  were  five  sections,  one  of  which 
is  here  given. 

Section  4.  No  pupils  shall  be  allowed  to  retain  their  connection  with 
any  of  the  Public  schools  unless  they  are  furnished  with  the  books  and 
utensils  required  to  be  used  in  their  respective  classes. 

In  1858  the  stockholders  of  the  Seminary  turned  over  to  the  joint 
school   districts   of  Wethersfield   and   Kewanee   the   Seminary  property   on 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 55 

condition  that  they  assume  the  debts  of  that  institution  amounting  to  $2,500. 
This  they  did  and  the  Seminary  became  the  Academy  or  High  school  for  the 
Union    district. 

The  first  principal  of  the  Seminary  was  Rev.  Mr.  Waldo.  He  was 
assisted  by  Miss  Atwood.  Mr.  Waldo  was  followed  by  Mr.  Blodgett,  who 
was  assisted  by  Miss  Stocking.  Next  in  order  were  McPheran,  D.  T.  Brad- 
ford and  M.  Tabor.  The  last  being  followed  by  C.  Beckington,  S.  M.  Etter 
and  W.  H.  Russell. 

In  1870  the  Union  school  district  was  dissolved  by  common  consent  of 
both  districts.  Kewanee  school  district  paid  the  Wethersfield  district  $1,800 
for  their  interest  in  the  old  Seminary  buildings.  At  the  same  time  Division 
street  became  the  boundary  between  the  two  districts. 

In  1877  the  Old  Academy,  where  so  many  of  the  middle-aged  and  old 
men  and  women  of  Wethersfield  and  Kewanee  attended  school  was  torn 
down  and  dwelling  houses  were  erected  upon  its  site.  The  old  Academy 
remains  today  only  a  pleasant  memory  of  the  days  when  Wethersfield  was, 
young. 

Wethersfield  School  Grounds 

The  Wethersfield  school  grounds  consist  of  ten  acres  and  it  is  conceded 
to  be  one  of  the  most  beautiful  school  grounds  in  the  state. 

Originally  there  were  286  trees  on  the  grounds.  These  were  divided  as 
follows:  92  Carolina  Poplar,  75  White  Elm,  24  Sycamore,  7  Norway  Spruce, 
18  White  and  Blue  Ash,  8  Kilmarnock  Willow,  3  Cut-leaf  Maple,  8  Mountain 
Ash,  7  Weeping  Mulberry,  4  Hard  Maples,  4  Catalpa,  4  Bur  Oak,  8  Cam- 
peidon  Elm,  4  Cut-leaf  Birch,  3  White  Birch  and  17  Arbor  Vitae. 

In  the  spring  and  summer,  flower  beds  add  much  to  the  beauty  of  the 
grounds.  In  the  spring  of  1911  two  thousand  tulips  bloomed  upon  the 
grounds.  In  that  year  the  following  letter  was  sent  to  the  State  Superin- 
tendent of  Public  Instruction,  Francis  G.  Blair,  who  published  it  in  the 
Arbor  and  Bird  Day  book  of  1912. 

Kewanee,    Illinois,    Nov.    4,    1911 
F.  G.  Blair,  State  Supt., 

Springfield,  Illinois. 
Dear  Sir:      By  this  mail  I  am  sending  you  a  picture  of  the  Wethersfield 
School  house.     The  picture  also  shows  part  of  the  ten-acre  play  grounds. 

There  are  over  two  hundred  trees  of  over  twenty  different  kinds.  This 
summer  there  have  been  twenty  flower  beds  in  bloom  at  one  and  the  same 
time.  On  almost  any  morning  in  September  from  ten  to  thirty  humming 
birds  could  be  seen  hovering  over  the  large  bed  seen  in  the  picture. 

Often  twenty  games  are  played  at  once  without  one  game  interfering 
with  another.  There  is  a  base  ball  diamond,  several  foot  ball  grounds, 
croquet  grounds  and  tennis  court. 

Our  beautiful  grounds  have  had  a  marked  influence  upon  our  children. 
They  are  healthier,  happier  and  are  more  easily  controlled. 

Please  accept  the  picture  with  the  compliments  of  the  school. 

Yours  truly, 

Frank  H.  Craig,  Supt. 

Playground  Apparatus 
The  playground  apparatus  was  erected  in  1908.  Through  the  efforts  of 
Wm.  J.  Hayden,  the  iron  piping  was  secured  from  the  Western  Tube  Co. 
at  cost.  Mr.  Hayden  also  helped  in  setting  up  the  apparatus.  A  flag  pole 
was  given  by  the  Walworth  Company  and  has  just  been  erected  upon  the 
grounds  near  the  building. 


56 


W  E  T 1 1  E  RSFIELD     S  K  ETC  H  E  S 


At   Play 


Ring    Around   the    Rosey 

Happy  as  the  birds 

That  sing  in  trees  on  high, 
Brighter  than  the  stars 

That  twinkle  in  the  sky. 
Joyful  ring  their  shouts, 

In  the  merry  rounds, 
Of  the  children  'mong  the  flowers 

On  the  old  school  grounds. 


~x 


■':J9&:S!C:j:^ 


L»' 


The   Dinner   Hour 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


57 


;  v 

-^lk&'          h 

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In    the    Shade    of    the    Poplars 

The    North    Brick    Building 

On  October  8,  1866,  it  was  voted  to  build  a  new  school  house  on  the 
north  end  of  the  school  grounds  north  of  the  old  brick  building  now  standing 
on  the  west  side  of  Tenney  street  between  McClure  and  Church  streets.  A 
two-room  brick  building  was  completed  during  the  summer  of  1867  and 
school  was  held  in  it  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year. 

The  contractor  was  Julius  Bliss,  and  the  building  cost  $4,531.84.  In  the 
summer  of  1900,  G.  C.  Requa  built  a  one-room  addition  to  this  building.  This 
addition  was  built  on  the  north  side,  cost  $635  and  was  used  as  the  primary 
room.  The  primary  pupils  in  this  room  were  taught  by  Helen  C.  Power 
who  was  the  Primary  teacher  in  Wethersfield  schools  from  1887  until  1918. 
This  room  was  used  for  the  primary  grades  until  all  grades  were  trans- 
ferred to  the  new  building  on  the  public  square  in  1903. 

When  the  schools  were  moved  to  the  new  building,  the  old  buildings 
and  grounds  were  sold.  The  addition  to  the  north  building  was  sold  to  E. 
J.  Ray  who  moved  it  to  his  lots  in  the  north  part  of  the  village.  The  north 
brick  building  was  sold  to  Herman  Miller.  He  leveled  the  building  and 
used  the  brick  in  the  foundations  of  three  dwelling  houses  which  he  erected 
on  the  north  part  of  the  old  school  grounds.  The  south  brick  building  was 
sold  to  W.  B.  McClure.     It  still  belongs  to  the  McClure  family. 

For  a  time  before  the  north  building  was  erected,  school  for  the  primary 
grades  was  held  in  the  upper  room  of  the  old  Beehive  store  which  stood 
on  the  corner  of  Tenney  and  Church  streets  not  far  from  the  site  of  the 
old  log  church. 

Frederick  Atwater  kept  store  and  post  office  in  the  lower  part  of  this 
building  and  his  wife  taught  the  primary  pupils  in  the  upper  rooms.  This 
old  store  was  eventually  moved  to  Tremont  street  in  Kewanee  where  it  was 
remodeled  and  is  now  a  dwelling  house. 


The  Schoolhouse  on  the   Public  Square 

At  the  spring  election  of  the  year  1901,  the  question  of  room  for  the 
pupils  of  District  No.  40  came  up  and  was  extensively  discussed.  At  the 
regular  and  at  special  meetings  held  in  the  year  1902,  the  school  site  was 
changed  to  the  public  square  and  money  was  voted  for  a  new  school  build- 
ing. 

H.  R.  Radford,  E.  J.  Ray  and  Burt  Craig  were  the  school  directors  of 
District  No.  40  at  this  time  and  it  was  largely  through  their  efforts  and 
those  of  M.  C.  Quinn  who  used  his  influence  in  financing  the  erection  of 


58 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


the  building  that  the  Public  square  was  obtained  for  a  school  site.  The 
building  and  grounds  stand  as  a  monument  to  the  untiring  efforts  of  these 
four  men. 

The  plans  of  the  building  were  drawn  by  Architect  John  McCullough 
and  the  building  was  erected  by  Miner  and  Carlson.  It  was  occupied  by 
the  pupils  of  the  district  on  Monday  morning,  October  12,  1903.  Miner  and 
Carlson  were  paid  $22,692.00;  Churchill-Hemenway  Co.  was  paid  $208  for 
hardware  and  John  McCullough  $600  for  plans  and  supervision. 


jj  J 


The    Blish    School 

Before  this  building  was  erected,  the  two  school  buildings  on  the  old 
school  grounds  could  not  accommodate  all  the  pupils  of  the  district.  At  one 
time  the  overflow  was  placed  in  the  basement  of  the  Methodist-Episcopal 
church  which  stood  at  the  corner  of  Tenney  and  Church  streets  on  lot  65. 
O.  W.  Pollard  taught  the  pupils  in  the  basement  of  this  church 
and  preached  in  the  room  above  on  Sundays.  Among  the  pupils  who  went 
to  school  in  the  basement  of  this  church  were  James  Wiley,  Jr.,  Jas.  K. 
Blish  and  W.  B.  McClure.  Just  before  the  new  building  was  erected,  Nellie 
V.  Grier  taught  the  fifth  grade  in  a  small  building  facing  McClure  street  on 
Lot  76.     This  building  is  now  a  dwelling  house. 

The  earlier  schools  had  a  six-months  year.  In  1861  it  was  voted  to 
extend  the  school  year  beyond  six  months  and  on  August  2,  1869,  the  school 
year  was  extended  to  nine  calendar  months.  In  1902  the  school  year  was 
changed  to  nine  months  of  twenty  days  each. 


Formation  of  the  Present  High  School 

In  the  fall  of  1903  there  were  seven  pupils  in  District  No.  40  who  had 
completed  the  eighth  grade  work  and  wished  to  take  up  high  school  work. 
Through  the  efforts  of  the  principal  of  the  school  and  the  board  of  educa- 
tion, a  high  school  course  was  organized. 

These  seven  pupils,  of  whom  four  graduated  in  1907,  began  the  study 
of  Algebra,  Latin,  English  Composition,  Business  Arithmetic  and  Physiog- 
raphy .  During  the  month  of  September,  1903,  the  sixth,  seventh,  eighth 
and  ninth  grades  were  crowded  into  the  old  brick  building  now  standing  on 
the  west  side  of  Tenney  street. 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


59 


Pupils  and  teachers  were  glad  when,  on  Oct.  12,  1903,  they  passed  from 
the  old  school  building  on  Tenney  street  to  the  new  brick  building  on  the 
Commons.  In  the  new  building,  the  seventh,  eighth  and  ninth  grades  occu- 
pied the  north-west  room.  The  teachers  of  these  grades  were  Mr.  Craig  and 
Mrs.  Will  Sweet. 

The  number  of  pupils  increased  rapidly.  When  the  pupils  entered  the 
new  building  on  the  Commons  in  1903,  they  occupied  only  seven  of  the 
eight  rooms  in  the  building.  It  was  thought  that  this  building  would  furnish 
room  for  the  pupils  of  the  district  for  many  years.  But  by  1913,  all  eight 
rooms  were  in  use  as  well  as  the  basement  and  upper  hall. 

In  1903  there  were  seven  high  school  pupils.  By  the  fall  of  1914, 
seventy-seven  high  school  pupils  were  attending  the  school.  During  the 
school  year  of  1915-16,  thirty-five  boys  and  forty-six  girls  enrolled  in  the 
school.     Fifteen  of  these  were  tuition  pupils. 

In  1903-04,  the  principal  of  the  school  taught  all  the  high  school  classes. 
By   1915    there   were  two   high   school   teachers   besides   the   principal   and 
music  instructor.     The  tax  levied  that  year  was  $6,500.     The  wages  paid 
to  teachers  was  $2,700,  the  other  expenses  were  $1,131.45. 
The  total  expense  amounted  to  $3,831.45. 

From  1903  to  1918,  Frank  H.  Craig  was  superintendent  and  principal  of 
the  schools.  Then  came  C.  O.  Klontz  for  two  years;  Chas.  E.  Decker,  for 
five  years.     The  present  superintendent  is  E.  G.  Miller. 

The  Township  High  School,  District  No.  191 

On  March  23,  1914,  the  proposition  of  establishing  a  Township  high 
school  district  was  voted  on.  Five  hundred  and  twenty-five  votes  were 
cast  of  which  three  hundred  and  seven  were  in  favor  of  a  Township  high 
school.  On  April  15,  1914,  a  township  high  school  board  as  follows  was 
elected:  L.  D.  Quinn,  president,  H.  R.  Radford,  Burt  Craig,  T.  F.  Oliver, 
Blanche  Page,  F.  E.  Good  and  A.  F.  Shaner. 

On  May  14,  1914,  four  propositions  were  submitted  to  the  voters  of 
Wethersfield  township.  Proposition  1,  To  purchase  a  site;  Proposition  2, 
Selection  of  site;  Proposition  3,  To  erect  a  building,  and  Proposition  4,  To 
issue  bonds  to  the  value  of  $30,000.00. 

The  first,  third  and  fourth  propositions  were  carried  by  large  majorities 
and  the  Town  hall  site  was  selected  for  the  new  building. 

The  work  on  the  building  was  started  July  18,  1914.  Grant  Beadle  of 
Galesburg  was  the  architect  and  C.  W.  Karr  of  Clinton,  Iowa,  the  contractor. 


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Wethersfield    Township    High    School 


60 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


Mr.  Karr's  bid  was  $24,986.00.  The  building  was  completed  in  the  fall  and 
winter  of  1914  and  was  occupied  by  the  high  school  pupils  on  April  12, 
1915.     The  entire  cost  of  building,  gymnasium  and  stable  was  about  $35,000. 

The    Gymnasium 

Before  the  new  township  high  school  was  built,  the  old  Town  hall  was 
moved  to  the  east  of  its  original  site  and  made  into  a  gymnasium.  This 
old  building  was  erected  in  1849-50  and  should  be  preserved,  not  only 
because  it  furnishes  a  playroom  for  the  pupils  of  the  schools,  but  because 
of  its  historic  interest. 


~      " 


The   W.    H.    S.    Kite 


Field    Day 


In  the  spring  of  1904  an  annual  field  day  was  established.  The  last 
day  of  school  since  that  time  has  been  given  over  to  athletic  contests 
upon  the  school  grounds  and  to  drills  and  marches.  For  several  years  a 
contest  in  kite  flying  was  one  of  the  events.  This  day  has  always  brought 
many  visitors  to  the  Wethersfield  Commons. 


The  Old  Spelling  School 

Sixty  years  ago  Webster's  spelling  book  was  the  standard  speller  in 
the  country  schools  of  the  township.  All  spelling  was  done  orally.  The 
last  class  of  the  day  was  the  advanced  spelling  class  composed  of  boys 
and  girls  from  fifteen  to  twenty  years  of  age. 

The  class  stood  in  a  row  along  the  walls  of  the  school  room.  Each 
pupil  was  given  two  trials  at  a  word.  When  a  pupil  missed  a  word,  the 
pupil  below  him  in  the  class  was  given  a  chance  to  spell  it.     If  this  pupil 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES  61 

spelled  the  word  correctly  he  would  take  his  place  above  the  pupil  that 
first  mis-spelled  the  word. 

The  pupil  who  succeeded  in  reaching  the  head  of  the  class  by  Friday 
afternoon  went  to  the  foot  of  the  class  on  the  next  Monday.  This  com- 
petition added  zest  to  the  spelling  lessons  and  resulted  in  making  some 
good  spellers  among  the  pupils. 

The  teacher  did  not  keep  a  grade  book  in  those  days.  Neither  were 
there  report  cards  to  be  sent  to  the  parents.  However,  the  teacher  kept 
a  book  in  which  was  recorded  the  headmarks  of  each  pupil.  One  Friday 
evening  a  certain  father  asked  his  boy  if  he  got  another  mark  that  week. 
The  boy  replied  that  he  got  one  but  that  it  was  where  it  wouldn't  show. 

The  pupil  who  received  the  most  "headmarks"  per  term  was  given  a 
prize.  Sometimes  the  prize  was  a  card,  sometimes  a  book  and  sometimes 
each  pupil  was  given  a  penny  for  every  headmark  obtained. 

Memories 

From  the  corner  of  my  garret 

Comes  a  book  that's  badly  worn, 
Fifty  years  the  dust  has  gathered 

On  its  pages  creased  and  torn. 

As  I  turn  its  musty  leaves 

In  electric's  magic  glow, 
Comes  a  picture  faintly  stealing 

Of  those  days  of  long  ago. 

When  upon  the  old  school  desk 

Lay  this  book  with  cover  blue, 
And  my  days  were  spent  in  conning 

Word  by  word  its  lessons  through. 

Well  remembered  days  were  those, 

Bright  the  meadow  flowers  grew, 
Whirred  the  wings  of  prairie  chicken, 

High  in  air  the  wild  geese  flew. 

Sweat  of  brow  and  daily  toil 

Clarified   the  brain   of  man, 
Filled  his  heart  to  overflowing 

As  no  modern  pleasure  can. 

Then,  the  children  gathered  nightly 

Round  the  fireside  one  by  one, 
Home  to  them  was  all  in  all 

When  their  daily  tasks  were  done. 

Saxon  School 
Old   No.  2  —  New  No.  84 

On  August  4,  1887,  Stephen  H.  Winters,  Jehiel  Fuller,  Samuel  Maycock, 
Samuel  Halstead,  William  Winters,  Ruluff  Darish,  Jeremiah  Winters,  James 
Kay,  R.  S.  Armstrong,  John  A.  Maxfield,  Squire  Darish  and  Jorham  Rounds 
bought  of  Samuel  Halstead  and  wife  the  following  described  property  for 
the  location  of  a  school  house.  A  triangular  piece  of  land  in  the  corner 
where  the  Wethersfield  and  Toulon   road  crosses  the  Peru  and  Knoxville 


62 


WETH  ERSF 1 E  LD     S  K KTCHES 


The   Saxon   School 


state  road  (12  rds.  N.  and  S.  and  14  rds.  Easterly  and  Westerly;  one-half 
acre  more  or  less)  for  the  sum  of  $1.00. 

The  first  school  building  in  this  district  was  erected  in  1848.  It  was  a 
brick  building  and  stood  upon  the  site  of  the  present  school  house.  About 
1864  this  building  burned  and  the  present  building  was  erected. 

From  the  first,  the  voters  of  the  district  were  decidedly  opposed  to 
extending  the  school  year.  The  proposition  for  extending  the  school  year 
beyond  six  months  was  regularly  voted  down  at  the  annual  meetings  for  a 
good  many  years. 

On  August  20,  1865,  it  was  voted  to  allow  pupils  outside  the  district  to 
attend  school  on  payment  of  fifty  cents  per  term.  In  1865  coal  was  furnish- 
ed to  the  school  for  eighteen  cents  per  bushel.  In  1877  it  was  furnished 
for  nine  and  one-half  cents  per  bushel.  It  was  the  only  district  to  expressly 
state  in  contract  that  the  coal  was  to  be  of  a  good  marketable  quality. 

The  well  was  dug  in  August,  1865,  by  J.  W.  Wright  at  a  cost  of  $2  per 
foot.  August  6,  1871,  the  following  set  of  books  was  adopted  by  the  board 
of  directors:  McGuffey's  Readers,  Clark's  Grammars,  Saunder's  Spellers, 
Robinson's  Arithmetics  and  Montieth's  Geographies. 

In  the  60's  and  70's  the  levy  for  school  purposes  was  between  $150 
and  $200.  The  smallest  wage  per  month  recorded  in  this  district  is  $25. 
The  statement  was  made  to  a  certain  school  teacher  who  had  applied 
for  the  school  that  if  the  county  superintendent  recommended  him  that 
he  might  have  the  fall  term  for  $35  per  month,  and  if  satisfaction  was  given 
during  that  term,  he  could  have  the  winter  term  at  $45  per  month.  And 
it  was  further  stated  that  if  he  was  still  satisfactory  during  the  winter, 
he  might  have  the  spring  term  at  $35  per  month. 

The  roof  of  the  present  building  was  shingled  in  October  of  1885  at  a 
cost  of  $12.50  for  labor  and  $3  for  boarding  carpenters.  The  building  was 
also  shingled  in  1906.  In  September  of  1891  the  building  was  painted  for 
$21. 

On  September  24,  1898,  a  new  bell  was  bought  of  O.  H.  Loomis  of 
Kewanee  for  $50.    Mr.  Loomis  placed  the  bell  in  the  belfry  for  an  additional 


WETHERSFIEL.D     SKETCHES 


63 


$4.50.  In  June  of  1894  the  flag  pole  was  placed  on  the  school  house  and  a 
new  flag  purchased.     The  building  was  reseated  in  July,  1898. 

Among  the  early  teachers  who  taught  two  years  or  more,  were:  Amy 
Enslow,  Alice  Martin,  Anna  M.  Blake,  Mabel  Ladd  and  May  Mowitt.  The 
highest  wage  in  the  70's  and  80's  was  $50  per  month,  in  the  90's  the  high- 
est wage  was  $60  per  month.  The  present  teacher,  Faith  Buchanan,  is 
receiving  $115.00   per  month. 

In  the  early  days,  the  Saxon  school  led  the  surrounding  schools  in  its 
literary  programs.  The  walls  of  the  old  school  room,  upon  many  a  winter 
evening,  resounded  with  the  eloquence  of  the  school  boys  and  young  men 
for  miles  around  who  met  there  to  try  their  wits  against  each  other  and  to 
win  the  votes  of  their  often  fair  judges. 

Among  the  directors  who  served  this  school  district  for  upwards  of 
twenty  years  or  more  were  M.  S.  Craig  and  George  Fuller.  Mr.  Fuller  was 
clerk  of  the  board  for  many  years.  His  books  show  much  care  in  recording 
the  transactions  of  the  school. 


The   Dana  School 
Old    No.  3— New   No.  44 

This  is  a  fractional  district,  the  school  building  being  located  in  Ke- 
wanee  township.  School  was  held  in  this  district  as  early  as  1848.  No  school 
is  held  in  this-  district  at  the  present  time.  The  pupils  attend  either  the 
Wethersfield  or  Kewanee  Schools. 


The  Good   School 
Old   No.  4  —  New  No.  39 

The  first  school  building  erected  in  this  district  was  built  on  the  corner 
of  the  H.  G.  Carson  farm,  now  owned  by  Dr.  J.  H.  Oliver.  It  was  built  in 
1848.  In  1865,  $50  was  paid  a  Mr.  Wilcox  for  the  lease  of  the  present  school 
grounds  and  a  contract  was  given  H.  Searles  to  build  a  school  house  on  those 


The  Good  School 


64 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


grounds.  The  contract  price  was  $990.  This  money  was  borrowed  and  a  tax 
of  two  per  cent  was  levied  upon  the  taxable  property  of  the  district  to  meet 
the  obligation.     The  old  building  was  sold  to  H.  G.  Carson. 

On  August  3,  1868,  the  directors  were  authorized  by  the  voters  of  the 
district  to  dig  a  well  and  to  "run"  the  school  for  nine  months.  In  1862, 
Harriet  Ogden  received  $12  per  month  for  teaching  the  spring  term  and  $18 
per  month  for  teaching  the  fall  and  winter  terms.  This  district  is  the  only 
one  of  the  country  districts  receiving  a  railroad  tax.  The  school  has  been 
standardized. 

Among  the  earlier  teachers  who  taught  two  or  more  years  in  this  dis- 
trict were  Helen  C.  Power,  Birdie  Gleason,  Maggie  Haswell,  Nellie  V.  Grier 
and  Addie  E.  Martin.  Once  upon  a  time  Chas.  K.  Ladd  taught  a  four  month 
school  here,  receiving  $52  per  month,  the  highest  wage  paid  by  this  district 
until  a  much  later  date. 

The  Craig  School 
Old   No.  5  —  New   No.  37 

A  deed  was  given  for  this  school  yard  May  30,  1856,  and  a  school  house 
was  erected  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year.  No  records  are  available  of  the 
first  teachers,  but  Elizabeth  H.  Bryan  taught  from  April  28,  1862,  until  July 
22,  1862,  a  three  months  term  for  ten  dollars  per  month.  Michael  Nolan 
taught  the  winter  following,  a  three  month  term,  at  fourteen  dollars  per 
month.  He  had  enrolled  that  winter  forty-four  pupils,  varying  in  age  from 
six  to  twenty-one  years. 

In  1871  a  new  school  house  was  built  by  C.  Bliss  at  a  cost  of  $1200.00. 
It  had  already  been  voted  (Aug.  3,  1863)  to  extend  the  school  year  beyond 
six  months. 

During  the  70's  the  wages  of  teachers  were  from  twenty  to  thirty  dollars 
per  month  in  the  fall  and  spring  and  from  forty  to  fifty  dollars  during  the 
winter  term.  There  were  three  teachers  during  the  year,  one  for  each  of 
the  three  terms.     A  man,  one  who  usually  worked  on  the  farm  during  the 


The  Craig  School 


WETHERSFIKLP     SKETCHES 65 

summer,  was  always  hired  for  the  winter  term.  George  Nolan  wa  the  first 
teacher  in  the  present  building. 

During  the  80's  there  were  but  lew  men  teachers  and  the  wages  were 
from  twenty  to  thirty  dollars  per  month.  After  1910  the  wages  rose  rapidly. 
At  the  present  time  (1925)  the  teacher  receives  one  hundred  dollars  per 
month.  The  tax  levy  in  1862  was  $200.  In  1922,  just  sixty  years  later  it 
was  $1200.  The  school  has  been  standardized  by  the  state  department  of 
public  instruction. 

In  the  spring  one  could  sit  in  his  seat  in  the  old  school  room  and 
through  the  open  doorway,  squirrels  could  be  seen  at  play  on  the  sloping 
hillside  beyond.  In  the  fall  many  were  the  pocketfuls  of  juicy  apples  that 
were  brought  to  school,  some  of  which  were  slyly  eaten  during  school  hours; 
and  there  were  the  fights  on  those  drowsy  Saturdays  with  bumble  bees 
in  the  old  orchards.  Bumble  bees  in  those  days  were  sworn  enemies  of 
all  school  boys. 

Little  did  the  boys,  one  of  whom  is  the  writer  of  these  sketches,  and 
the  girls  of  old  No.  5  think  of  the  future  in  those  happy  days.  We  had  our 
rivalries  in  the  old  school  room  and  our  troubles  upon  the  playground.  Some 
of  those  boys  and  girls  are  gone,  but  others,  middle-aged  or  old,  often 
think  of  their  old  teachers  and  schoolmates  with  feelings  of  pleasure  as 
memory  brings  back  those  carefree  days  that  we  spent  at  old  No.  5. 


Boyhood   Memories 

My  mind  reverts  to  the  farm 

Where  I  lived  and  worked  as  a  boy, 

Where  my  days  were  full  of  happiness 
And  my  heart  was  full  of  joy. 

Up  with  the  lark  in  the  morning, 

At  work  in  the  dewy  air, 
Well  I  remember  those  days, 

Was  there  ever  a  world  so  fair? 

Then  was  a  time  for  visions, 
For  the  future  was  all  before, 

And  my  mind,  like  the  golden  eagle, 
In  the  blue  of  the  sky  would  soar. 

Life  passes  but  slowly  in  youth, 

Whether  of  city  or  farm, 
And  those  boyhood  dreams  of  mine 

Lost  something  of  glow  and  charm. 

But  the  pleasure  of  field  and  farm, 

Still  lingers,  an  afterglow, 
Of  the  joys  of  that  early  boyhood 

In  those  days  of  long  ago. 


Indian  Creek  School 
Old    No.    6— New    No.    42 

The  first  school  house  in  this  district  was  placed  near  the  site  of  the 
present  building  in  1856.  In  September  of  1864,  this  building  was  moved 
to  land  then  owned  by  Philip  Shaner  at  the  S.  E.  corner  of  the  S.  W.  40 


66  WETH  KltS FIELD     SKETCHES 


Indian    Creek    School 

acres  of  section  27.  School  was  held  in  this  building  until  1870  when  a  new 
building,  the  present  one,  was  built  on  the  old  school  site  where  the  build- 
ing still  stands. 

The  carpenter  work  on  the  present  school  building  was  done  by  Fred- 
erick Mulholland  for  $390.  The  trees  upon  the  school  ground  were  set  out 
April   25,   1877. 

Miss  Maggie  Rule  was  the  last  teacher  in  the  old  building  and  John 
(Jock)  Turnbull  the  first  teacher  in  the  present  school  building.  In  1877 
there  were  fifty-six  boys  and  girls  under  twenty-one  years  of  age  in  the 
district.     Thirty  of  these  were  of  school  age. 

In  the  70's  and  80's  it  was  a  merry  lot  of  boys  and  girls  that  went  to 
school  here.  There  were  the  Murchinsons,  the  Johnstones,  the  Johnsons, 
the  Keims  and  the  Armstrongs.  Some  of  those  boys  and  girls  now  grown 
to  mannhood  and  womanhood  still  live  in  the  district.  Among  these  is 
H.  C.  Johnstone  who  lives  upon  the  farm  entered  from  the  government  by 
his  grandfather  in  1848.  This  was  one  of  the  last  pieces  of  government  land 
entered  in  the  township. 

The  boys  and  girls  of  this  school  trudged  through  the  snows  of  winter 
and  loitered  on  their  way  along  the  dusty  roads  in  summer.  Boys  and 
girls  sat  upon  opposite  sides  of  the  school  room  and  many  were  the 
shy  glances  cast  across  that  middle  aisle  when  the  teacher  was  not  look- 
ing. In  the  winter  of  1886  a  night  school  for  review  work  was  held  twice 
a  week.     This  was  the  first  night  school  in  the  county. 

Not  the  least  of  pleasures  of  school  life  at  this  school  was  the  fine 
sliding  place  upon  the  bank  of  Indian  Creek  in  winter.  In  summer  this 
same  creek  furnished  the  old  "swimmin  hole."  In  spring,  wild  flowers 
bloomed  in  the  woods  to  the  south,  and  in  the  fall  nuts  galore  grew  upon  the 
walnut  and  hickory  trees  in  the  neighboring  pastures.  Truly  those  were 
happy  days  at  old  No.  6. 


WETHEllSKIELO     SKETCHES 


67 


Armstrong   School 
Old    No.   7— New    No.  43 

May  15,  1856,  O.  T.  Graves  agreed  with  Pindlay  Murchinson  for  one- 
half  acre  of  land  for  a  school  yard.    The  price  paid  for  the  half  acre  was  $16. 

June  2,  1856,  the  district  was  laid  out  pursuant  to  an  order  issued  by 
Charles  R.  Blake,  Township  Treasurer.  The  district  comprised  the  south 
one-half  of  section  12,  southeast  quarter  of  section  11,  east  half  of  section 
14,  seGtion  13,  east  half  of  section  23  and  section  24.  William  Oliver,  Will- 
iam Stover  and  James  Bayles  were  chosen  judges,  and  E.  Abbey  clerk  of 
this  first  election.  At  the  same  election  held  June  2,  1856,  Oliver  T.  Graves, 
William  Stover  and  E.  Abbey  were  elected  school  directors. 

July  2,  1856,  a  tax  of  one  per  cent  was  levied  upon  the  taxable  property 
of  the  district  and  in  the  summer  and  fall  of  1857,  George  W.  Norton 
furnished  the  material  and  built  a  school  house  upon  the  school  site.  The 
building  cost  $419. 

A.  A.  Matthews  taught  the  first  school  in  the  winter  and  spring  of 
1S57-8  receiving  $50  for  the  two  terms.  On  Oct.  4,  1859,  Robert  Moffatt 
was  hired  to  teach  the  school  for  $18  per  month.  He  taught  for  three  and 
one-half  months  and  received  $63.  Diantha  Matthews  taught  fifteen  weeks 
for  $45  in  1862.     The  trees  were  set  out  on  April  11,  1870. 

Sept.  5,  1859,  a  tax  was  levied  to  support  a  free  school  in  the  district 
for  eight  months  during  the  coming  school  year.  In  Sept.,  1864,  the  school 
year  was  made  nine  months  but  was  reduced  to  eight  months,  although 
in  1867  they  again  voted  for  a  nine-month  school. 


The   Armstrong   School 


On  Aug.  5,  1867,  it  was  voted  to  build  a  new  school  house.  March  21, 
1868,  the  contract  for  the  building  was  awarded  to  John  O.  Geer  for  $1122. 
The  building  was  completed  July  30,  1868.  The  total  cost  including  seats, 
etc.,  was  about  $1,500.  A  district  library  was  bought  during  this  year  at  a 
cost  of  $54.     The  school  year  was  divided  into  three  terms.     Usually  there 


68 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


were  three  teachers  during  each  year,  a  lady  for  fall  and  spring  and  a  man 
for  winter. 

Among  the  teachers  of  a  later  period  were  George  A.  Dickinson  and  the 
Ray  boys,  Charles  and  E.  J.  The  wages  did  not  advance  until  the  80's.  By 
1900  the  teacher  was  being  hired  for  the  full  year  and  she  was  getting  from 
$35  to  $50  per  month.  The  teacher  during  the  year  1923-4  received  $892.50, 
over  $100  per  month. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  district  there  were  sometimes  enrolled  as  many 
as  forty  or  forty-five  pupils.  During  the  year  of  1923-24  there  were  seven- 
teen pupils  enrolled.  In  the  early  days  boys  and  girls  usually  attended 
school,  at  least  during  the  winter  months,  until  they  became  of  age.  The 
country  boy  and  girl  of  today  complete  the  eight  grades  at  the  age  of 
twelve  to  fifteen  years. 


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Township   School    District    Map 


In   1922,   Districts   Nos.   41,   42,   43   and   84   became   Saxon   Consolidated 
District  No.  201. 

Whiting    School 
Old  No.  8  —  New  No.  41 


It  appears  from  all  available  records  that  only  one  school  building  has 
been  erected  in  this  district.  This  building,  erected  in  1857  has  been  en- 
larged and  remodeled.  The  well  was  dug  in  1874  and  the  shade  trees  now 
surrounding  the  building  were  set  out  in  the  spring  of  1876. 

During  the  early  years  of  the  district,  school  was  held  during  the  sum- 
mer months  only.     In  1862,  Miss  Abbey  B.  Whiting  taught  twelve  weeks  for 


WETHERSFIELP     SKETCHES 


69 


The   Whiting    School 

which  she  received  $33.  In  the  summer  of  1863  she  also  taught  12  weeks 
for  which  she  received  $30. 

On  August  17,  1863,  it  was  voted  to  have  a  winter  term  of  school.  Miss 
Whiting  taught  this  winter  term,  also'  the  spring  term  for  which  she  re- 
ceived $72;  or  $12  per  month.  Miss  Tirzah  Vaill  taught  three  months 
during  the  winter  of  1863-64  for  $14  per  month. 

The  school  building,  sitting  on  blocks,  out  on  the  prairie  was  unpro- 
tected by  tree,  hedge  or  fence  from  the  drifting  snows  before  the  north- 
west winds.  This  is  the  probable  reason  why  no  school  was  held  during 
the  winter  months  in  the  early  days  of  the  district. 


The   Sadler   School 
•     Old  No.  9  —  New  No.  38 

The  deed  for  the  school  yard  was  given  Sept.  21,  1858,  and  the  first 
school  building  was  erected  in  the  fall  of  that  year.  In  1876  the  present 
building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $1200.  The  old  school  building  was  sold 
to  H.  C.  Morton  for  $35  and  moved  to  his  farm  in  the  school  district. 

The  writer  of  these  sketches  taught  his  first  school  in  the  building  now 
standing  in  the  winter  of  1883-84.  He  received  $40  per  month,  built  his 
own  fires  and  did  his  own  janitor  work.  There  were  about  45  pupils  enrolled 
during  the  term.  Besides  classes  in  the  grades,  there  were  classes  in  Al- 
gebra and  Bookkeeping.  It  certainly  took  some  planning  to  get  through  with 
the  day's  work  during  the  winter.  There  were  over  70  boys  and  girls  under 
21,  46  of  whom  were  of  school  age. 

A  debating  society  met  during  that  winter  and  a  monthly  spelling 
school  was  held,  at  which  not  only  the  pupils  but  many  of  their  parents 
took  part.  John  Gary,  one  of  the  patrons  of  the  school  had  a  peculiar 
genius  for  spelling,  or  perhaps  the  genius  shown  at  spelling  was  due  to  the 
many  winter  evenings  spent  conning  over  the  words  in  Webster's  and 
Saunder's  Spellers.  The  writer  has  found  during  his  work  as  teacher  that 
success  along  any  line  means  one-tenth  aptitude  or  genius  and  nine-tenths 
hard   work. 


70 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


The  Sadler  School 

Among  the  men  who  served  as  directors  in  the  earlier  days  in  this 
district  were  A.  G.  Townsend,  H.  C.  Morton,  Noble  Stull  and  James  Sadler. 
Usually  one  or  more  of  these  directors  attended  the  debates  and  spelling 
schools  and  quite  as  often  took  part  in  the  programs. 


The  Old  School   Bell 

Two  of  the  Wethersfield  schools  have  had  belfrys  in  which 
hung  bells.  One  of  these  schools  was  the  old  Academy  in 
the  Union  school  district.  Its  bell  is  now  the  clock  bell  in  the 
belfry  of  the  Central  school  building  in  Kewanee.  ■ 

The  other  school  with  a  belfry  and  the  only  one  in  the  township  at 
the  present  time  is  the  Saxon  school.  All  the  other  schools  call  the  children 
to  their  daily  tasks  with  hand  bells. 


Jingle,  jingle,  old  school  bell, 
Loud  and  clear  your  tones  they  swell. 
Reaching  outward  and  away, 
Where  the  children  are  at  play. 

Calling  them  to  paths  anew, 
Through  winter  storms  and  skies  of  blue, 
Bringing  to  the  school  room  drear, 
Happv  hearts  and  wealth  of  cheer. 


Old  school  bell  we  like  you,  too, 
For  your  tones  are  always  true, 
You  ring  firmly  for  the  right 
With  your  clapper  round  and  bright. 


WKTHKRSKIHL1  >     SKETCHES 71 

'Tis  ot"  lessons  that  you  tell, 
And  your  jingle,  old  school  bell, 
Is  to  us  a  warning  call, 
To  our  duties,  one  and  all. 

School  Garden 
(From  the  Star-Courier  in  the  spring  of  1914) 

"Classes  in  agriculture  at  the  Wethersfield  high  school  will  now  have 
the  advantage  of  an  experiment  plot  eight  rods  square  adjoining  the  school 
building  at  the  corner  of  Church  and  Tenney  streets.  A  great  variety  of 
crops  have  been  started.  The  amount  of  each  product  grown  is  small,  the 
object  not  being  large  production  but  rather  great  variety,  in  order  that 
experiments  may  cover  the  largest  possible  amount  of  subjects. 

Almost  every  common  kind  of  truck  vegetables  as  well  as  field  corn 
and  oats  have  some  space  in  the  garden.  In  addition  there  are  two  apple 
trees  upon  which  experiments  in  trimming,  grafting  and  budding  are  carri- 
ed on.  The  whole  garden  is  divided  into  70  plots,  each  8  by  16  feet.  This 
year  all  of  these  plots  are  used  for  experimental  purposes  though  the 
pupils  may  do  what  they  please  with  the  products  of  their  own  individual 
plots." 

Literary   Societies 

The  first  lyceum  or  literary  society  in  Wethersfield  was  begun  in  1838. 
Some  of  the  villagers  thought  that  they  might  profit  by  skill  in  debating. 
The  first  meetings  were  held  in  the  homes  of  those  taking  part  in  the 
programs.  One  of  the  early  ministers  says,  "We  soon  found  that  young 
Wethersfield  had  some  manly  ideas,  and  that  the  intelligence  of  the  people 
was  not  lost  by  crossing  the  Alleghanies,  though  it  has  been  said  of  some 
professors  of  religion  that  they  lost  their  religion  in  that  way." 

Later  the  debates  were  held  in  the  old  log  mill  house  on  Tenney 
street.  When  the  Academy  was  built,  it  became  the  meeting  place  for  all 
literary  efforts.  From  its  platform  both  John  B.  Gough  and  Horace  Greely 
lectured  to  the  people  of  the  community.  After  the  Union  school  district 
was  dissolved  in  1870,  all  literary  work  was  carried  on  in  the  school  build- 
ings of  the  respective  districts. 

In  the  70's  and  80's  several  of  the  country  districts  had  literary  socie- 
ties. Among  these  districts  was  District  No.  84,  now  a  part  of  the  Saxon 
consolidated  district  No.  201.  It  had  a  fine  literary  society  in  which  the 
debate  usually  furnished  the  greater  part  of  the  programs. 

Night   Schools 

The  first  night  school  was  held  at  Indian  Creek  school  house  in  the 
winter  of  1886.  The  boys  and  girls  of  the  school  and  neighborhood  met 
one  night  each  week  to  review  some  of  the  common  branches. 

In  the  fall  of  1911  a  night  school  was  begun  in  the  high  school  room 
at  Wethersfield.  Classes  in  reading,  writing,  bookkeeping,  civics  and  athle- 
tics were  begun  and  they  were  continued  through  the  winter  months  for 
several  years.  Among  the  teachers  of  these  night  schools  were:  Frank 
Castle,  Grant  Wiley,  Noel  Craig,  William  Teece  and  Frank  H.  Craig. 

From  ten  to  twenty-five  were  regularly  enrolled  in  these  classes. 

School    Section 

The  school  lands  of  Wethersfield  township;  Sec.  16,  was  sold  in  1855 
for  $6,549.98,  a  little  over  ten  dollars  per  acre.  This  was  about  the  average 
price  per  acre  paid  for  the  school  section  in  each  township  of  Henry  County. 


WETHKRSFTEEP     SKETCHES 


Libraries 

Through  the  efforts  of  a  young  couple  named  Granger,  a  circulating 
library  was  early  established  in  the  Wethersfield  colony.  The  first  books 
for  this  library  were  donated  by  the  city  of  Middletown,  Conn.  Caleb 
Little  was  its  last  librarian. 

At  the  present  time,  all  school  districts  of  the  township  have  their  own 
libraries.  These  consist  of  books  purchased  from  the  proceeds  of  enter 
tainments  given  by  pupils  and  teacher  of  the  respective  districts. 


Manual  Training 

Manual  Training  began  in  the  Wethersfield  schools  in  the  fall  of  1903. 
The  first  manual  training  room  was  then  the  unused  upper  southeast  room 
in  the  new  brick  building  on  the  Public  Square.  A  basement  room  was 
afterwards  used  in  the  same  building.  When  the  township  high  school 
was  built,  a  basement  room  in  that  building  became  the  manual  training 
room. 

Chief  School   Officer 

The  chief  school  officer  of  the  township  is  the  county  superintendent  of 
schools.  He  was  formerly  called  a  commissioner.  Each  school  district  is 
more  directly  controlled  by  three  directors  or  by  a  board  of  education  con- 
sisting of  seven  members.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  commissioners 
and  county  superintendents  with  the  date  they  began  their  terms. 

Commissioners:  Term   Began: 

James  M.  Allan  March  5,  1838 

Joseph   Tilson  July   10,  1839 

Abra  M.  Seymour  March  10,  1841 

Marcus  B.  Osborn  March  7,  1842 

John  C.  Ward  Sept.  1,  1845 

Champlain  Lester  Aug.  2,  1847 

Henry  G.  Griffin  Dec.  3,  1849 

William  H.  Brainard  Dec.  1,  1851 

R.  C.  Raymond  Dec.  3,  1855 

Samuel  G.  Wright  Dec.  7,  1857 

Samuel  M.  Etter  Dec.  2,  1861 

H.  B.  Foskett  Dec.  7,  1863 

A.  K.  Henny  Jan.  27,  1864 

County   Superintendents 

A.  K.  Henny  Dec.  4,  1865 
H.  S.  Comstock  Dec.  6,  1869 

B.  F.  Barge  Dec.  1,  1873 
Fannie  L.  Tee  Sept  21,  1881 
E.  E.  Fitch  Dec.  13,  1881 
E.  C.  Rosseter  Dec.  4,  1882 
Joshua  Williams  Oct.  1,  1886 
John  B.  Russell  Dec.  1,  1890 
Martin  Luther  Sept.  1,  1893 
A.  L.  Odenweller  Dec.  5,  1910 
P.  J.  Stoneberg  Dec.  1,  1918 
W.  F.  Huston  Jan.  13,  1920 


WKTHERSFIKl'J)     SKETCHES  73 


The   First  Graduates 

The   Alumni 

The  first  to  enroll  as  alumni  in  the  Wethersfield  high  school  were  Icy 
D.  Miller,  Mabel  E.  Radford,  Delia  G.  Donaldson  and  Harry  E.  Myers.  The 
commencement  exercises  were  held  at  the  Town  Hall  on  Friday  evening  of 
the  last  week  in  May,  1907. 

The  class  motto  was,  "Not  For  Self  Alone."  Miss  Radford,  salutatorian 
of  the  class,  delivered  an  address  entitled,  "Illinois."  Miss  Donaldson's 
subject  was,  "The  Secret  of  Success,"  and  Mr.  Myers  gave  an  interesting 
address  on,  "The  True  Type  of  Education." 

The  valedictorian  of  the  class,  Miss  Miller,  took  for  her  subject,  "Rome 
Was  Not  Built  in  a  Day."  In  closing  she  thanked  the  faculty  and  the  board 
of  education  for  the  many  courtesies  shown  the  class  during  its  high  school 
course.  Jas.  K.  Blish  of  Kewanee  and  F.  U.  White  of  Galva  were  the 
speakers  of  the  evening. 

After  the  exercises  at  the  town  hall,  the  members  of  the  graduating 
class  and  their  two  teachers  were  the  guests  of  the  board  of  education  at  the 
Saratoga  Cafe  where  a  fine  supper  was  served. 

During  the  nineteen  years  since  the  first  graduation,  223  pupils  have 
completed  the  high  school  course.  All  of  the  living  members  of  this  group 
are  filling  each  in  his  own  niche,  a  place  in  the  community,  state  or  nation. 

(Abbreviations — B.,  born;  d.,  died;  m.,  married;  Kew.,  Kewanee,  111.; 
Wal.,  Walworth  Company;  Bus.,  business;  Col.,  college;  Man.,  manager; 
Nor.,  Normal;  U.  of  I.,  University  of  Illinois;  U.  of  Wis.,  University  of  Wis- 
consin.) 

Class  of  1907 

Delia  G.  Donaldson — B.  March  29,  1889;  attended  Geneseo  Collegiate  In- 
stitute; graduate  of  Western  Illinois  State  Teachers'  College  ;  taught  14 
years;  began  teaching  at  $20  per  month;  became  principal  of  Lincoln,  Ne- 
braska, schools,  salary  $1500  per  year;  m.  Louis  H.  Kerr,  who  is  one  of 
Nebraska's  state  senators;   Brady,  Neb. 

Harry  E.  Myers — B.  Jan.  20,  1889;  farmer;  m.  Alta  Heeter;  No.  2,  Kew. 

Icy  D.  Miller — B.  Dec.  28,  1890;  attended  Nor.  school;  taught  five  years; 
m.  Sam  Woodley,  executive  Asst.  of  Am.  Assn.  for  the  Advancement  of  Sci- 
ence;  2233  18th  St.,  N.  W.  Apt.,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Mabel   E.  Radford— B.  Aug.   12,   1889;    completed  a  business   course;    did 
clerical  work  for  several  years;  in.  Guy.  W.  Akin;  Buda,  111. 


74 WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 

School  Song 
(By  Florence  Neville) 

Wethersfield,  we  love  you,  good  old  Goose  Island, 
Wethersfield,  your  honored  standards,  always  high  will  stand. 
Wethersfield,  your  true  sons,  back  you,  every  man. 
Wethersfield,  we  love  you,  first  in  state  and  first  in  land. 

Chorus : 
Here's  to  the  school  that  we  love,  boys, 
Here's  to  her  sons  so  true, 
Here's  to  the  team  and  victory, 
Here's  to  Craig,  too, 
Here's  to  Philomathian  fame,  boys, 
Here's  to  each  thing  you  do, 
Hand  in  hand,  man  to  man, 
Staunch  Wethersfield  we  stand, 
Here's  to  good  old  Wethersfield. 

Wethersfield,  we  love  you,  Love  your  Windmont  park, 

Spoon  River,  your  banks  are  verdant, 

On  green  and  white  we  stake, 

Wethersfield,  your  true  sons, back  you  every  man, 

Wethersfield,  we  love  you,  first  in  state  and  first  in  land. 

The  following  composition  was  written  by  Miss  Radford  in  the  spring 
of  1904  at  the  time  she  was  a  freshman. 


Incidents  of  the  School  Year 

When  school  began  last  fall,  the  new  building  on  the  "Commons"  was 
not  ready  and  but  little  preparation  had  been  made  to  begin  school  in  the 
old  buildings.  On  the  Saturday  before  school  was  to  begin,  it  was  found 
that  there  was  no  room  for  the  sixth  and  second  grades. 

Some  old  seats  were  found  in  the  attic  of  the  North  building.  Part  of 
these  were  put  in  the  east  room  of  that  building  and  used  for  second  and 
third  grade  pupils.  The  rest  of  the  seats  were  put  in  the  South  building 
for  the  sixth  grade.  In  the  South  building  the  seats  and  desks  had  to  be 
placed  very  close  together;  some  against  the  walls;  some  close  to  the 
stove  and  some  by  the  front  blackboard.  There  were  over  eighty  boys  and 
girls  in  this  room,  and  they  were  packed  almost  as  closely  together  as 
sardines  in  a  box. 

The  seventh  grade  was  so  large  that  it  could  not  go  to  the  small 
recitation  room  in  the  east  end  of  this  building,  so  it  had  to  recite  in  or 
at  their  seats.  The  smaller  sixth,  eighth  and  ninth  grades  took  turns 
reciting  in  the  recitation  room.  One  day,  when  the  sixth  grade  and  their 
teacher,  Mrs.  Sweet,  were  in  the  recitation  room,  the  wind  blew  the  door 
shut.  The  lock  bolt  closed  and  the  teacher  and  pupils  could  not  get  out 
until  the  door  was  unlocked. 

No  repair  had  been  made  on  the  old  building.  When  the  wind  blew, 
as  it  usually  did,  the  shutters  which  could  not  be  fastened  open  were  blown 
against  the  house,  making  so  much  noise  that  it  was  difficult  to>  concentrate 
upon  our  studies.  When  the  shutters  were  not  slamming,  the  wind  through 
the  broken  windows  scattered  our  papers  all  over  the  room. 

When  cool  weather  came  and  the  fires  were  started,  both  chimneys 
smoked.     The  smoke  came  out  into  the  room  and  teachers  and  pupils  went 


WKTHERSFIKLP     SKETCHES 75 

out  of  doors  or  stayed  in  the  room  and  breathed  carbonic  acid  gas  and  shed 
smoky  tears. 

When  the  chimneys  were  cleaned,  a  great  variety  of  things  were  taken 
from  them;  old  shoes,  balls,  brickbats,  soot  and  from  one  a  dinner  pail. 
Some  boy,  probably  one  who  had  finished  school  the  year  before,  thought 
he  would  not  need  his  dinner  pail  any  more,  so  he  had  thrown  it  into  the 
chimney  top. 

Pupils  and  teachers  were  all  eager  to  get  into  the  new  building  and 
on  Friday  morning,  just  a  month  after  school  began,  the  contractor  sent 
word  that  we  might  have  the  new  building  on  the  next  Monday  morning. 
The  books  were  taken  home  that  afternoon  and  on  Saturday  morning,  the 
old  desks  were  taken  to  the  new  building  on  the  Commons.  The  carpenters 
and  members  of  the  board  of  directors  worked  all  day  Saturday  and  by 
night  the  building  was  ready  for  the  pupils. 

Our  school  has  been  going  quite  regular  since  that  time  with  the 
exception  of  two  vacation  weeks.  Some  boys  and  girls  have  moved  away, 
but  letters  come  from  them  once  in  a  while,  showing  that  they  still  have  a 
warm  place  in  their  hearts  for  their  old  teachers  and  playmates  at  Wethers- 
field.  New  boys  and  girls  have  come  among  us  who  have  taken  up  the 
school  work  with  a  will  and  have  become  a  part  of  the  school. 

Not  a  few  laughable  incidents  have  occured  during  the  year.  The 
following  are  some  of  them.  The  day  before  Thanksgiving  a  teacher  heard 
two  little  girls  talking  about  their  Thanksgiving  Day  dinner.  One  of  them 
said,  "What  are  turkeys  worth  a  yard  this  year?"  The  other  said,  "They 
don't  sell  turkeys  by  the  yard." 

On  the  first  day  of  April,  our  janitor,  Mr.  Cole,  was  standing  on  the 
lower  floor  by  a  radiator  when  a  first  grader  walked  up  to  him,  handed  him 
a  neatly  folded  paper  and  then  walked  off  toward  his  room,  but  turned 
with  a  grin  on  his  face  just  in  time  to  meet  an  answering  grin  on  the  face 
of  Mr.  Janitor  as  he  looked  up  from  reading  the  paper. 

Even  our  principal,  Mr.  Craig,  after  refusing  to  look  at  the  first 
caterpillar  and  the  stopped  clock;  and  after  putting  off  the  reading  of  a 
a  letter  or  two  until  April  second,  succumbed  when  he  attempted  to  ring 
his  call  bell.     The  ring  had  all  been  taken  out  of  it. 

We  are  at  present  about  250  pupils  and  7  teachers.  We  are  proud  of 
our  fine  new  school  building  and  its  broad  play  grounds.  These  grounds 
will  become  the  pride  of  the  district.  Certainly  the  children  of  Dist.  No.  40 
can  never  thank  too  much  that  board  of  directors  and  others  who  worked 
so  hard  to  get  a  school  building  upon  the  commons. 

Class  of  1908 

Noel  E.  Craig— B.  Apr.  30,  1890;  grad.  of  Knox  Col.;  attended  U.  of  I., 
of  Wis.,  and  of  Chicago;  teacher;  taught  13  years;  m.  Jessie  M.  Reed;  2683 
Tuxedo  Ave.,  Detroit,  Mich. 

Ernest  G.  Dustin— B.  July  23,  1888;  farmer;  m.  Trella  B.  Fuller;  No.  2, 
Galva,  111. 

Blanche  I.  Dustin — B.  Apr.  1,  1890;  taught  2%  years;  m.  Frank  L.  Craig; 
138  W.  McClure  St.,  Kew. 

Bluebird    and    Robin 

About  seven  o'clock  one  morning  last  spring  a  Bluebird  was  swinging 
from  a  small  branch  of  one  of  the  poplar  trees  in  front  of  the  school 
house.     A  Robin  flew  to  a  near-by  branch  of  the  same  tree. 

"Where  did  you  come  from,"  asked  the  Bluebird?  "I  spent  the  winter 
in  the  rice  fields  of  North  Carolina,"  said  the  Robin.     "I  have  been  more 


76 WKTHKRSF1ELD     SKETCHES 

than  a  month  on  my  way  to  this  place.  I  stopped  several  times  on  my 
journey,  waiting  while  Old  Winter  was  slowly  driven  northward  by  the 
South  Wind." 

"Do  you  expect  to  go  farther,"  asked  the  Bluebird?  "No,"  said  the 
Robin,  "This  place  looks  pretty  good  to  me,  for  T  was  born  in  that  old  nest 
in  the  Elm  tree  by  the  town  hall  walk." 

"Are  there  plenty  of  worms  here-abouts,"  asked  the  Bluebird?  "Yes," 
said  the  Robin,  "and  there  are  cherries,  currants  and  grapes  in  the  neigh- 
boring gardens,  but  best  of  all,  the  children  of  this  school  never  harm  birds." 

"Well,"  said  the  Bluebird,  "if  what  you  say  is  true,  this  place  must  be 
pretty  near  a  bird's  paradise.  I  think  I  shall  pick  out  an  Elm  tree  and 
when  Mrs.  Bluebird  comes  along  from  the  South  we  will  go  to  keeping 
house  in  a  tree  on  the  school  grounds." 

Class  of  1909 

Emma  B.  Bean — B.  July  6,  1891;  taught  school;  m.  Raymond  E.  Cole; 
No.  2,  Broken  Bow,  Neb. 

Irma  L.  Close — B.  Dec.  30,  1892;  attended  Nor.;  has  taken  extension 
work;  teacher;  taught  16  years;  m.  W.  E.  Briggs;  2736  14th  Ave.,  Moline,  111. 

Rose  M.  Carlson — B.  July  23,  1890;  attended  Nor.;  taught  4  years;  m. 
Frank  Steimle;  Washington,  111. 

Opal  E.  Leech— B.  Aug.  22,  1891;  grad.  of  Kew.  Bus.  Col.;  has  been 
doing  clerical  and  stenographic  work  for  the  Herman  Nelson  Corp.  for  the 
past  nine  years;   1805  15th  St.,  Moline,  111. 

Lindsay  R.  Olson— B.  July  11,  1891;  m.  William  E.  Campbell;  113  W. 
Mill  St.,  Kew. 

Cecile  B.  Pierce — B.  Jan.  4,  1891;  spent  13  years  in  general  office  work 
at  Wal.  office;  m.  W.  S.  Stuart;  6627  Blackstone  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 

Dean  H.  Radford— B.  Sept.  20,  1891;  studied  Ag.  at  U.  of  Wis.;  farmer; 
m.  Annie  Rule;  No.  4,  Kew. 

Esther  M.  Ray— B.  Dec.  10,  1891;  attended  Wheaton  Col.;  No.  2,  Kew. 

Lola  M.  Rogers — B.  Mar.  31,  1891;  studied  nursing  at  White's  Sanator- 
ium, Freeport,  111.;  did  practical  nursing  iy2  years;  m.  Mitchell  J.  Turnbull; 
No.  2,  Neponset,  111. 

Oscar  C.  Samuelson — B.  Oct.  22,  1890;  grad.  of  Des  Moines  Bus.  Col.; 
in  Equitable  Ins.  office;  m.  Clara  E.  Buntz;  1410  W.  44th  St.,  Des  Moines,  la. 

Laura  A.  Townsend — B.  Apr.  14,  1890;  m.  Carl  Shane,  Knoxville,  111. 

Mary  E.  Whitney — B.  Apr.  14,  1891;  has  taken  extension  work  at  Augus- 
tana  Col.  equivalent  to  a  Jr.  Nor.  course;  teacher  of  16  years  experience; 
1002  17th  St.,  Rock  Island,  111. 

The  following  letter  was  received  from  Miss  Whitney  in  answer  to  my 
request  for  information  and  is  published  with  her  consent. — Author. 

Rock  Island,  111., 
My  dear  Mr.  Craig:  Nov.  30,  1925 

It  brought  back  childhood  memories  when  I  saw  your  signature  on  an 
envelope  to  me.  It  will  indeed  be  a  great  pleasure  to  give  you  the  needed 
information. 

I  often  think  back  to  the  time  when  I  graduated  and  how  little  I  wished 
to  be  a  school  teacher.  How  mother  insisted  on  my  taking  the  teacher's 
examination,  and  with  your  encouragement  I  proceeded  on  my  life-long 
career. 

I  surely  am  glad  that  I  listened  to  your  advice  and  cannot  imagine 
myself  in  any  other  vocation  as  interesting  and  enjoyable  as  teaching.     I 


WET1IEIISFIEL1  >     SKETCHES 77 

have  often  wondered  why  you  encouraged  me  to  become  a  teacher.    I  would 
enjoy  having  you  tell  me  if  you  wish. 

I  have  a  deep  interest  in  the  boy  or  girl  who  is  so  full  of  energy  and 
fun  that  he  or  she  cannot  keep  within  the  school  rules.  I  was  like  them. 
I  now  know  what  a  source  of  trouble  I  was  to  you,  yet  at  the  same  time  I 
was  trying  to  be  the  best  pupil  you  had. 

Now  as  to  my  history:  I  taught  four  years  in  the  rural  schools;  two 
of  these  years  in  a  two-room  rural  school  where  we  had  between  sixty  and 
seventy  pupils  enrolled.    I  had  the  primary  grades. 

After  much  thought  and  consideration  I  put  my  application  in  for  a 
position  in  the  Rock  Island  schools,  and  in  1913,  I  was  given  a  position.  I 
could  hardly  make  up  my  mind  to  leave  the  rural  school  as  I  was  so  inter- 
ested there.    But  again  my  mother  insisted  and  I  am  glad  I  obeyed. 

I  was  assigned  to  the  Audubon  school,  so  named,  because  it  was  on  the 
boundary  line  of  Rock  Island,  sort  of  in  the  woods.  This  building  was  a  new 
four-room  wooden  building,  placed  in  the  center  of  a  block  of  oak  trees. 
We  had  a  small  enrollment  and  were  considered  one  of  the  smaller 
schools,  not  worth  much  notice.  But  we  soon  made  people  notice  us  because 
of  our  lovely  home  atmosphere  in  the  school;  our  beautiful  grounds,  planned 
by  our  old  German  janitor,  who  took  the  prize  three  years  in  succession 
for  his  lovely  flower  beds  and  our  P.  T.  A.  was  the  largest  in  the  city,  though 
in  its  most  sparsely  settled  district. 

Our  enrollment  began  to  increase  with  the  building  up  of  that  section 
of  thei  city.  At  one  time  we  could  count  from  our  school  windows,  twenty- 
one  houses  in  the  process  of  the  making.  We  soon  had  a  portable  building 
placed  in  our  yard  which  took  care  of  eighty  children. 

At  last  we  have  on  this  lovely  spot  the  most  beautiful  school  building 
in  the  city.  It  is  a  two-story  structure  of  brown  brick,  containing  thirteen 
class  rooms,  gymnasium,  auditorium,  library  operated  by  the  city  library, 
a  kitchenette  and  rest  room,  office,  shower  baths,  lunch  rooms  for  children 
who  live  too  far  from  school  and  a  hygiene  room  where  the  children  are 
examined  by  doctor,  nurse  and  dentist.  In  this  room  the  children  are 
weighed  and  measured  each  month.  Here  also,  over  a  hundred  children 
drink  milk  every  day. 

I  have  the  primary  children.  We  had  fifty-two  enrolled  last  September. 
These  pupils  had  never  gone  to  school  before  and  it  has  been  very  inter- 
esting to  watch  them  unfold  into  regular  little  students.  I  have  had  the 
beginners  for  the  past  three  years,  ever  since  we  have  been  in  our  new 
school. 

I  have  been  at  Augustana  College  for  two  summers  and  have  taken 
Normal  extension  work  until  I  have  earned  credits  enough  to  be  considered 
a  junior,  yet,  I  believe  my  most  extensive;  training  was  with  my  former 
principal,  Miss  Wilcox,  who  had  a  wonderfully  strong  personality,  always 
doing  for  others  and  her  love  for  children  made  her  an  ideal  teacher  as  well 
as  principal. 

We  feel  as  though  our  new  school  is  a  monument  to  her  as  she  passed 
away  very  suddenly  after  being  in  our  new  building  but  five  months. 

I  must  close.  I  would  enjoy  visiting  with  you.  I  will  try  and  find 
you  when  I  come  to  Kewanee. 

Sincerely  your  old  pupil, 

Marie  Whitney. 

Class  Prophecy  of  1909 
(By  Mae  Rogers) 

May  28,  1919:  Time  has  flown  so  rapidly  that  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  realize  that  ten  years  have  passed  since  I  graduated  from  the  Wethers- 


78 WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 

field  high  school.  In  the  meantime  I  have  traveled  much  and  have  been 
very  busy  writing  my  autobiography.  In  composing  the  chapter  entitled, 
"Schoolmates,"  I  was  obliged  to  hunt  for  some  of  them. 

I  first  boarded  a  car  for  Wethersfield  and  arrived  at  the  Wethersfield 
city  hall  on  election  day.  Shortly  after  ascending  the  massive  stone  steps 
of  this  building,  I  entered  a  small  vestibule  where  I  touched  a  button  three 
times  and  instantly  landed  on  the  third  floor.  Stepping  from  the  elevator 
I  was  surprised  to  see  a  small  iron  hand  suddenly  shoot  out  from  the  wall 
and  a  voice  was  heard  to  say,  "A  penney  please." 

I  reluctantly  took  from  my  purse  a  penny  which  I  had  amalgamated  at 
the  W.  H.  S.  in  1909.  I  did  not  like  to  part  with  this  penny  as  I  had  kept 
it  for  good  luck.  This  was  all  the  money  I  had  with  me,  for  in  this  advanc- 
ed age,  any  amount  larger  than  a  penny  could  be  paid  by  check.  So  instead 
of  gold,  silver  and  paper  money,  a  check  book  and  a  fountain  pen  were  the 
only  articles  usually  found  in  pocket  books. 

As  I  entered  the  large  auditorium,  I  heard  a  voice  say,.  "Who  will  you 
have  for  president  of  the  board  of  education"?    In  the  speaker  I  recognized 
my  old  schoolmate,  vice  president  of  the  Senior  class  of  1909,  Esther  Ray. 
She  was  fulfilling  the  duties  of  chairman  of  the  meeting  as  she  had  done 
her  duties  at  school  faithfully  and  well. 

Almost  instantly  I  heard  Rose  Carlson  nominated  for  president  of  the 
board.  I  knew  that  Rose  had  made  a  good  teacher  at  "North  Star"  school 
and  was  not  surprised  to  hear  the  motion  seconded.  I  heard  afterwards 
that  Rose  was  elected  to  the  position. 

On  leaving  the  hall,  I  noticed  the  campus  of  the  school.  It  was  well 
kept  and  instead  of  two  tulip  beds,  there  were  many.  I  noticed  there  were 
no  fences  around  the  flower  beds.  This  puzzled  me,  for  when  I  attended 
school  in  Wethersfield,  the  dogs  were  so  numerous  that  all  flower  beds 
had  to  be  protected.  On  asking  for  an  explanation,  I  was  told  that  the 
Mayor  of  Wethersfield,  Laura  Townsend,  had  succeeded  in  having  an  ordi- 
nance passed  declaring  that  no  dogs  were  to  run  at  large. 

I  took  particular  notice  of  the  trees  that  our  class  had  helped  to  plant 
and  wondered  at  their  marvelous  growth.  Over  these  trees  could  be  seen 
the  tops  of  several  large  buildings.  A  bell  hung  from  the  tower  of  what 
later  proved  to  be  our  old  school  house  remodeled. 

I  entered  the  building  and  took  an  elevator  to  the  third  floor.  A  kindly 
old  gentleman  met  me  and  ushered  me  into*  the  high  school  assembly  room. 
I  readily  recognized  him  as  Mr.  Craig  who  had  taught  me  for  several  years 
in  the  high  school.  He  asked  me  what  I  was  doing  and  when  I  told  him 
that  I  was  writing  a  book,  he  wished  me  success.  I  told  him  that  Blanche 
Bean  was  matron  of  a  hospital  in  Chicago. 

As  I  finished  talking  to  Mr.  Craig,  a  stately  lady  came  down  the  hall. 
As  she  was  about  to  pass  I  said,  "Opal,  don't  you  know  me"?  After  a 
moment's  hesitation,  she  said,  "Why,  it's  Mae  Rogers,  editor  of  the  "Old 
Wethersfield  Bugle."  After  graduating  she  had  moved  to  Missouri.  She 
had  studied  vocal  music  under  a  local  teacher,  then  gone  to  Chicago  Con- 
servatory after  which  she  had  studied  two  years  in  Paris. 

Opal  told  me  that  Cecil  Pierce  had  graduated  with  herself  in  Paris 
and  that  both  were  teaching  music  in  the  Wethersfield  high  school,  Cecil 
having  charge  of  the  instrumental  department.  Just  squeezing  the  ends  of 
my  fingers,  Opal  (she  was  now  called  LaOpal  DeLeech)  hurried  away  to 
her  classes  murmuring  something  that  sounded  like  "Au  revoir." 

I  next  went  to  Chicago.  While  there  I  went  into  a  hair-dressing  parlor 
to  have  my  hair  dressed  in  the  latest  style.  When  I  asked  the  hair  dresser 
the  price,  she  said,  "five  dollars."  When  I  asked  her  to  whom  I  should 
make  out  the  check,  she  replied,  "Irma  Close."     When  I  looked  at  her  I 


___ VN'ETIIEIISFIELD     SKETCHES 79 

saw  that  she  was  indeed  my  old  schoolmate,  Irma.  She  said  she  was  having 
great  success  in  her  line  of  work.  That  evening  I  attended  a  reading  given 
by  the  world  famous  Madamoiselle  Whitney,  another  of  my  schoolmates. 

Leaving  Chicago,  I  journeyed  toward  the  north  and  east,  into  a  fine 
farming  center.  I  decided  to  stop  here  for  a  while  and  left  the  train.  After 
walking  about  town  for  a  short  time  I  became  very  hungry.  Seeing  a 
pleasant  faced  woman  and  her  husband,  I  decided  to  ask  them  if  I  might  take 
dinner  with  them.  On  asking  the  lady,  she  said  she  would  ask  her  husband 
who  was  untying  the  team.  This  was  his  reply,  "Did  Dean  Radford  ever 
refuse  anyone  a  meal"? 

I  was  so  surprised  that  I  was  at  a  loss  for  words  (something  new  for 
me).  As  we  rode  along  the  pleasant  country  road,  a  refrain  something 
like  this  kept  running  through  my  head.  "Holy  Gee"  I'm  glad  I'm  free,  no 
wedding  bells  for  me."  And  I  felt  that  Dean  must  be  singing  another  song 
now. 

Dean  told  me  that  Linnie  Olson  was  matron  of  the  Glenwood  Orphans' 
Home  in  Chicago  and  I  couldn't  help  thinking  of  Linnie's  song,  "I  want 
an  Orphan,"  and  knew  that  she  must  be  happy.  On  my  way  home  I  stopped 
at  Aurora  to  see  my  old  English  teacher,  but  was  told  that  she  had  just 
left  for  Paris  where  she  was  about  to  enter  her  pet  dog,  "Julius  Caesar," 
in   a   dog  show. 

Before  writing  a  final  copy  of  my  autobiography  I  decided  to  take  a 
course  in  penmanship.  I  entered  a  school  at  Rock  Island  for  that  purpose. 
While  there,  one  of  the  teachers  gave  me  a  sentence  to  write.  I  instantly 
recognized  the  handwriting  of  my  old  school  mate,  Oscar  Samuelson.  How- 
ever, he  had  changed  his  name  from  "Shorty"  to  Professor  Samuelson. 

After  finishing  the  course  in  pennmanship,  I  returned  to  my  home 
where  I  finished  my  autobiography.  And  as  I  now  read  over  the  many 
chapters,  I  find  the  ones  that  I  enjoy  the  most  to  be  those  relating  to  my 
old  schoolmates  and  teachers  of  1909. 

Class  of  1910 
Agnes  A.  Fraser — B.  May  12,  1892;   attended  Nor.;   taught  12  years;  m. 
John  Dent;  530  Elliott  St.,  Kew. 

Mabel  F.  Lindstrom — B.  Aug.  19,  1892;  attended  Geneseo  Collegiate 
Inst.;  taught  2  years;  m.  Charles  C.  Motley;  No.  2,  Kew. 

Rena  D.  Partridge— B.  May  31,  1891;  teacher;  attended  Nor.  Univ.  2V2 
years;  taught  13  years;  Kew. 

Ruby  M.  Turnbull— B.  Nov.  25,  1891;  attended  school  at  Geneseo,  111.; 
taught  3  years;  m.  Floyd  Dodd;  Moline,  111. 

Our   High  School   Pin 
(By  Agnes   Fraser) 

After  the  high  school  was  started  in  1903,  the  high  school  pupils  wanted 
a  high  school  pin.  Many  catalogs  were  sent  for  and  examined,  but  no  pin 
could  be  found  that  suited  the  pupils.  They  wanted  something  different 
from  other  schools.  At  last  it  was  suggested  that  they  take  the  wild 
goose  for  their  mascot  and  for  the  emblem  on  their  pin. 

A  large  goose  was  painted  by  Ruby  Turnbull,  a  member  of  the  class 
of  1910.  A  kodak  picture  of  this  painting  was  taken  and  sent  to  Bastian 
Bros,  at  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  telling  them  what  we  wanted.  The  result  was, 
the  pin  called  our  high  school  pin.  The  head  of  the  pin  is  a  green 
shield  bearing  a  white  goose  and  the  initials  standing  for  our  high  school. 

The  explanation  for  the  emblem  on  the  pin  goes  back  in  history  to 
pioneer  days.     In  those  days,  where  the  school  building  now  stands,  stood 


80 WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 

ponds  of  water  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year.  Wild  geese,  in  their 
journeys  from  North  to  South  or  vice  versa,  often  stopped  at  these  ponds. 

At  a  later  date  a  great  many  tame  geese  were  raised  in  Wethersfield. 
These  also  used  the  ponds  on  the  Commons.  Geese  were  so  plentiful  and 
there  were  so  many  ponds  and  so  much  water  in  Wethersfield  that  it 
received  the  name  of  "Goose  Island."  After  the  trees  were  set  out  and 
many  flower  beds  made,  the  pupils  of  the  school  were  so  proud  of  the 
former  goose  pond  that  they  determined  to  perpetuate  the  name,  hence 
their  mascot  and  emblem. 

The  goose  is  noted  in  prose  and  song  for  its  loyalty.  Two  thousand 
years  ago,  the  Gauls  were  about  to  gain  a  foot-hold  upon  the  Roman  Capital, 
when  the  geese,  kept  sacred  by  Juno,  by  their  frightened  cries,  roused  the 
Romans  and  the  Gauls  were  repulsed. 

The  colors  of  our  pin  should  bring  two  thoughts  to  the  pupils  who  wear 
it.  First,  that  the  white  of  the  goose  signifies  purity  of  thought  and  deed. 
Secondly,  that  the  green  of  the  shield  signifies  loyalty — loyalty  to  school, 
to  state  and  to  nation. 

Class  of   1911 

Emily  J.  Carlson— B.  Sept.  23,  1893;  attended  Nor.;  taught  11  years; 
m.  Charles  Gramer;  Wyanet,  111. 

Glen  C.  Craig— B.  Nov.  5,  1893;  attended  Knox  Col.  3  years;  taught 
school;  salesman;  m.  Helen  Sturtevant;  1154  Lillian  Way,  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 

Bessie  I.  Odell— B.  Oct.  18,  1891;  attended  Bus.  Col.;  taught  school;  m. 
Glen  W.  Canfield;  Newfield,  N.  Y. 

Fred  E.  Peterson— B.  Mar.  12,  1892;  farmer;  m.  Anna  Paul;  No.  2,  Kew. 

Ada  B.  Robbins— B.  Jan.  22,  1893;  attended  Nor.;  teacher;  taught  14 
years;  118  Smith  St.,  Kew. 

Alma  A.  Spiegle — B.  Nov.  22,  1894;  attended  Nor.;  taught  10  years;  m. 
Oram  O.  Chamberlain;  No.  2,  Kew. 

Class   of   1912 

Addie  L.  Anderson— B.  Oct.  22,  1894;  taught  3  years;  m.  Walter  E.  Tietz; 
233  Dwight  St.,  Kew. 

Marjorie  V.  Brown — B.  May  24,  1893;  two  years  at  Woman's  Col.  at 
Jacksonville,  111.;  attended  U.  of  I.;  taught  10  years;  teacher  of  Home  Eco- 
nomics at  Alpha,  111.;  148  E.  McClure  St.,  Kew. 

Minnie  F.  Bohnenberger — B  Apr.  17,  1894;  m.  Jesse  F.  Fraser;  911  N. 
Burr  St.,  Kew. 

Pearle  L.  Bennett — B.  Feb.  15,  1894;  attended  Kew.  Bus.  Co.;  m.  William 
H.  Fraser;  120  Dwight  St.,  Kew. 

Earle  L.  Bennett— B.  Feb.  15,  1894;  d.  Apr.  10,  1918. 

Leslie  H.  Cronau— B.  Apr.  10,  1896;  butcher;  811  W.  6th  St.,  Davenport, 
Iowa. 

Raymond  M.  Coleman — B.  Feb.  24,  1895;  took  Int'l  Cor.  course  in  Plumb- 
ing and  Heating;  plumber  and  steam  fitter;  m.  Flossie  Dalrymple;  340  S. 
Park  St.,  Kew. 

Mary  E.  Grubbs — B.  Feb.  12,  1895;  attended  Nor.;  taught  10  years;  m. 
Ray  S.  Partridge;  3145  9V2  St.,  Rock  Island,  111. 

Glen  S.  Good— B.  Mar.  3,  1894;  studied  Ag.  at  U.  of  I.;  farmer;  m.  Ethel 
M.  Radford;  No.  4,  Kew. 

Ethel  H.  Pask — B.  Jan.  11,  1893;  attended  Nor.;  taught  6  years;  m.  Ralph 
P.  Blair;  142  E.  McClure  St.,  Kew. 

Ray  S.  Partridge — B.  Aug.  6,  1892;  attended  Nor.;  taught  2  years; 
cashier  in  Rock  Island  Plow  Co.  office;  m.  Mary  E.  Grubbs;  3145  9y2  St., 
Rock  Island,  111. 

Ethel  M.  Radford— B.  Mar.  25,  1894;  m.  Glen  S.  Good;  No.  4,  Kew. 


WETHERSEIELP     SKETCHES 81 

History  of  the  Class  of  1912 
(By  Ethel  Radford) 

In  the  fall  of  the  year  1900,  a  very  large  class  of  small  tots  entered 
the  first  grade  of  the  Wethersfield  school.  There  were  three,  Pearle  Bennett, 
Earle  Bennett  and  Ethel  Radford,  whom  the  teacher,  Miss  Powers,  soon 
found  were  very  good  friends.  They  were  all  equally  smart,  but  not 
equally  good  for  one,  probably  you  can  tell  which  one  it  was  by  looking  at 
face,  got  her  mouth  tied  up  for  whispering  to  one  of  the  boys. 

At  the  end  of  the  first  year,  these  three  little  playmates  carried  home 
three  certificates  of  promotion,  and  the  next  fall  they  proudly  marched  into 
the  second  grade  room.  Early  in  the  year  another  member  was  added 
to  this  very  select  little  clique,  a  little  girl  who  wore  glasses  and  had  very 
long  hair  which  was  the  envy  of  all  her  girl  friends.  Brown,  her  last  name 
was  very  common,  but  Marjorie,  her  given  name,  all  agreed  was  very 
pretty.  She  left  for  a  while  during  the  third  grade,  but  returned  to  start 
in  the  fourth  grade,  bringing  a  friend  with  her.  This  new  pupil  excelled 
her  new  friends  from  the  very  first  in  name,  for  "Bohnenberger"  proved 
to  be  quite  a  tongue  twister. 

No  one  joined  these  friends  in  the  fifth  grade,  but  the  first  day  of  the 
next  year,  Ray  Partridge,  who  no  doubt  felt  sorry  for  Earle,  became  the 
second  knight  of  the  "jolly  five/'  About  two  weeks  later,  Mary  Grubbs, 
a  little  black-eyed,  curly  haired  Kentuckian,  entered  the  class.  Her  music- 
al southern  accent  greatly  amused  the  children,  especially  the  "jolly  five" 
who  used  to  question  her  just  to  hear  her  say  "reckon,"  "right  much,"  etc. 
Finally  Mary  developed  a  liking  for  Ray  and  under  his  protection  and  in 
spite  of  much  teasing,  she  became  a  member  of  the  class  of  1912. 

Helen  Pask  joined  them  in  the  seventh  grade,  swelling  their  number 
to  eight.  She  was  not  with  them  long,  however,  before  the  teacher  told 
her  she  was  worse  than  any  boy  in  the  room. 

The  eighth  year  was  a  memorable  one  on  account  of  two  "civil  wars." 
The  civil  strife  between  the  seventh  and  eighth  grades  was  long  and  bitter. 
First,  there  was  the  color  fight  over  which  many  tempers  were  lost;  then 
there  was  the  motto  fight  which  prolonged  even  to  the  end  when  the 
eighth  graders  triumphantly,  but  timidly,  bore  their  banner  into  the  high 
school.  In  both  frays  this  class  proved  themselves  good  fighters  and 
plenty  able  to  take  care  of  themselves. 

After  graduating  from  the  Grammar  school  with  all  the  honors  and 
festivities  due  such  estimable  warriors,  they  marched  in  through  the  back 
door  of  the  High  school  as  a  band  of  Green  "Freshies"  timidly  bearing 
their  motto,  "Work  and  Win."  They  were  frightened  at  the  larger  pupils, 
but  their  teacher,  Mr.  Craig,  looked  as  though  he  could  protect  them,  so 
they  sat  in  the  front  seats  near  his  desk.  This  year  they  were  honored 
by  having  three  pupils,  Raymond  Coleman,  Addie  Anderson  and  Glen  Good, 
from  the  country  join  their  numbers.  These  new  members  soon  learned  the 
manners  of  the  city  from  their  citified  classmate,  Leslie  Cronau,  who  also 
joined  the  class  that  fall,  swelling  its  number  to  twelve. 

Of  course  as  smaller  pupils,  they  copied  from  the  older  pupils  and  the 
next  year  sat  a  little  farther  away  from  the  teacher's  desk.  This  change 
gave  considerable  more  chance  for  fun-making  in  school  time,  so  they  grew 
even  bolder  and  made  their  formal  social  debut  at  a  class  party.  Because 
they  never  did  anything  by  halves,  as  shown  in  the  history  of  their  earlier 
warfare,  this  party  was  a  great  success  and  not  the  only  one  enjoyed  by 
the  class  that  year. 

They  grew  quite  bold  when  they  entered  the  third  year  of  high  school 
and   took  the  lead   in  all   social   functions.     Early  in  the  year  they  began 


82 WETHERSFIKL.P     SKETCHES 

to  plan  lor  the  Junior-Senior  reception.  They  discussed  plans  of  all  kinds 
and  discussed  them  well  too,  but  they  always  ended  with  the  question, 
"Where  is  the  money  coming  from"?  Finally  someone  suggested  that  they 
give  a  class  play.  With  the  help  of  Miss  Ewan,  they  decided  to  give  a 
play  entitled  "The  Sweet  Girl  Graduate."  This  meant  work,  but  they  went 
at  it  with  determination  to  succeed  as  they  had  in  every  former  undertaking. 
Oh!  Those  endless  nights  of  practice  and  such  gusty  sighs  that  greeted 
Miss  Ewan  on  those  moonlight  nights  when  she  ordered  them  to  take  their 
places  for  work.  Then  there  was  the  night  of  the  "flood."  The  faithful 
few  will  long  remember  how  the  rain  poured  in  torrents  that  night,  but 
even  torrents  did  not  dampen  their  ardor.  The  glorious  night  came  and 
after  smothered  whispers,  hurried  changing  of  costumes  and  suspense  in 
waiting,  the  curtain  rose  on  the  first  act.  Needless  to  say  they  were  all 
"stars"  and  the  audience  smiled  in  approval  as  the  curtain  fell  on  the  little 
home  scene  of  Maude  and  Jack.  A  success  did  some  one  say?  Yes,  indeed, 
and  Miss  Ewan  would  have  said  anytime  during  1911  that  "Junior"  spelled 
success  just  as  she  now  says  in  1912  that  the  first  two  letters  have  changed 
and  now  "Senior"  spells  success. 

The  Juniors  wore  long  faces  the  last  day  of  the  school  year  in  1911. 
When  some-one  asked  them  the  reason  for  their  long  faces,  they  said,  "Not 
one  of  us  have  received  a  certificate  of  promotion  permitting  us  to  pass  into 
the  senior  year."  The  mournful  Juniors  asked  Mr.  Craig  why  they  had 
not  received  their  certificates  of  promotion.  He  answered  them,  as  he  often 
does  with  that  peculiar  smile  on  his  face,  by  saying,  "Do  you  think  your 
grades  are  good  enough  to  go  on"?  Of  course  they  did,  so  they  came  pre- 
pared for  senior  studies  the  next  year. 

A  great  many  jokes  and  pranks  were  played  by  the  Seniors  during  the 
year  just  passed.  Mr.  Craig  considered  the  Seniors  one  of  his  greatest 
troubles,  but  now  that  they  are  leaving,  they  hope  he  will  forget  all  their 
misdemeanors  and  remember  them  only  as  good  "Little  Freshies." 

Class  of   1913 

Leo  R.  Anscomb— B.  Nov.  29,  1894;   farmer;   No.  3,  Hurdland,  Mo. 

E.  E.  Anderson — B.  Jan.  10,  1895;  one  year  at  U.  of  I.;  farmer;  m.  Eliz- 
abeth Bennison;  No.  3,  Galva,  III. 

Elizabeth  W.  Fraser — B.  May  15,  1895;  began  working  for  the  Kew. 
Private  Utilities  Co.  on  Monday  after  graduating  and  is  still  working  for 
that  company;  321  Payson  St.,  Kew. 

Louie  F.  Hall— B.  May,  1893;  930  S.  Seminary  St.,  Galesburg,  111.  (Mrs. 
Loretta  Ashley.) 

Elmer  H.  Motley— B.  Dec.  3,  1894;  farmer;  m.  Laura  Dalton;  No.  2,  Kew. 

Hazel  M.  Partridge— B.  Aug.  30,  1895;  attended  Nor.;  taught  12  years; 
m.  Jacob  Heflin;  Woodhull,  111. 

Class  of  1914 

Margaret  C.  Cook— B.  Mar.  14,  1896;  attended  Kew.  Bus.  Col.;  m.  G.  H. 
Wolf,  Kew. 

Mary  L.  Findley— B.  Oct.  21,  1898;  attended  Nor.;  teacher;  taught  9 
years;   322  Hollis  St.,  Kew. 

Agnes  D.  Johnson — B.  July  9,  1895;  attended  Nor.;  taught  6  years;  m. 
Gilbert  E.  Bergquist;  229  S.  Vine  St.,  Kew. 

Myrtle  E.  Moore— B.  July  21,  1896;  m.  R.  O.  Campbell;  6417  Kenwood 
Ave.,  Kenrows  Hotel,  room  342,  Chicago,  III. 

Josephine  Page — B.  Mar.  3,  1897;  attended  Nor.;  teacher  of  10  years 
experience;  m.  Alvin  A.  Ouart;  No.  3,  Galva,  111. 


WETHERSFIELP     SKETCHES 83 

Leone  G.  Pierce — B.  July  29,  1895;  theater  cashier;  m.  H.  O.  Nance,  210 
N.  Main  St.,  Kew. 

Cecile  B.  Robbins— B.  Jan.  2,  1896;  attended  Kew.  Bus.  Col.-;  dental  asst.; 
118  Smith  St.,  Kew. 

Elwyn  P.  Radford— B.  July  26,  1896;  salesman;  130  E.  Church  St.,  Kew. 

Fred  L.  Wells — B.  Nov.  17,  1895;  taking  a  correspondence  course  in 
Mech.  Engr.;   acetylene  welder;   m.  Pearl  E.  Mercer;   335  Helmer  St.,  Kew. 

Class  of   1915 

Elizabeth  M.  Ashley — B.  Apr.  17,  1896;  taught  school;  m.  Everett 
Brown;   227  W.  McClure  St.,  Kew. 

Grace  F.  Bennett— B.  Jan.  12,  1897;  m.  Edward  Greiert ;  122  West  St., 
Kew. 

George  S.  Bean— B.  June  5,  1897;  attended  Nor.;  taught  2  years;  sales- 
man; m.  Marie  F.  Stahl;  Kew. 

Leroy  M.  Bryner — B.  June  8,  1896;  faking  a  correspondence  course  in 
Mech.  Drafting;  machinist;  m.  Myrtle  M.  Salisbury;  1416  New  St.,  Kew. 

Minnie  F.  Carlson — B.  Aug.  25,  1898;  taught  1  year;  m.  Charles  Lind- 
strom;   LaFayette,  111. 

Milo  L.  Craig— B.  Oct.  6,  1897;  had  2  years  of  Col.  work;  in  transfer 
work;   722  S.  Chestnut  St.,  Kew. 

Grace  V.  Hill— B.  Aug.  21,  1895;  m.  Guy  W.  House;  Neponset,  111. 

Joy  E.  Hill — B.  Jan.  29,  1896;  taught  3  years;  m.  Joseph  Nicholson;  d. 
Oct.  24,  1925.  Buried  in  Pleasant  View  cemetery- 
Gladys  M.  Hayden — B.  May  26,  1897;  taught  2  years;  m.  J.  C.  Landwair; 
3619  Elmwood  Ave.,  Berwyn,  111. 

Arthur  E.  Johnson — B.  Oct.  23,  1896;  taught  1  year;  employed  at  Wal. 
Co.;  145  Payson  St.,  Kew. 

Aubrey  R.  Jones — B.  Sept.  29,  1897;  took  a  correspondence  course  in 
accounting;  installer  of  electric  switchboards;  2701  Broadway,  Spokane, 
Wash. 

Myrtle  M.  Lindstrom— B.  Mar.  23,  1898;  d.  Apr.  5,  1918.  Buried  in  Pleas- 
ant View  cemetery. 

Clarence  H.  Lindstrom — B.  Oct.  3,  1896;  farmer;  mar.  Elva  Dalton;  No. 
4,  Kew. 

Ruby  M.  Lindstrom— B.  May  9,  1897;  m.  Max  Casteel;  No.  1,  Tiskilwa,  111. 

Fern  L.  Marvin — B.  Sept.  20,  1896;  taught  4  years;  m.  Edward  Seefield; 
No.  1,  Kew. 

Mae  Milburn— B.  Nov.  20,  1897;  taught  iy2  years;  m.  Carl  Doy;  No.  4, 
Kew. 

Leta  B.  Wyant — B.  Feb.  4,  1898;  attended  Nor.;  taught  6  years;  m.  Miles 
B.  Ball;   117  Houle  Ave.,  Kew. 

Class  of   1916 

Inez  I.  Anderson — B.  March  26,  1897;  m.  Thomas  R.  West;  No.  1,  Kew. 

Mae  A.  Anderson — B.  May  23,  1899;  taught  1  year;  order  writer  at  Wal.; 
624  Willard  St.,  Kew. 

Eva  M.  Berg— B.  Jan.  12,  1898;  graduate  of  Kew.  Bus.  Col.;  taught 
school;  in  office  work  with  Kew.  Boiler  Co.;  118  Beech  St.,  Kew. 

Chester  J.  Buchanan— B.  Feb.  26,  1897;  attended  Millikin  U.;  farmer; 
m.  Lillian  R.  Calcutt;  No.  2,  Kew. 

Bernard  L.  Felt — B.  July  25,  1898;  took  cor.  course  in  electrical  engin- 
eering; occupation,  electric  maintenance  work;  m.  Hazel  M.  Williams; 
507  Roosevelt  Ave.,  Kew. 

Lenora  P.  Grubbs— B.  Dec.  6,  1897;  m.  Warren  W.  Caldwell:  2820  E. 
Locust  St.,  Davenport,  la. 


84 WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES  

Marian  G.  Kennish — B.  Dec.  13,  1897;  spent  two  years  at  Jacksonville 
Worn.  Col.;  grad.  of  S.  Calif.  U.;  taught  4  years;  attending  U.  of  S.  Calif.; 
149  W.  Division  St.,  Kew.;  or  1058  W.  35th  PL,  Los  Angeles,  Calif. 

Edith  P.  Nelson— B.  Dec.  27,  1897;  attended  Nor.  2%  years;  taught  7 
years;  145  E  .Church  St.;  now  attending  Nor.  U.,  Bloomington,  111. 

John  W.  Romig — B.  July  10,  1897;  grad.  of  Mec.  Engr.  Dept.  of  U.  of  I.; 
taught  1  year;  with  the  111.  Glass  Co.;  box  193,  Alton,  111. 

Hazel  V.  Shaner— B.  Aug.  29,  1898;  grad.  of  Nor.  Jr.  Col.;  attended  U. 
of  Wis.;  m.  Kingston  Isenhart;  Mt.  Carroll,  111. 

Class  of  1917 

Genevieve  Baker— B.  Jan.  12,  1899;  332  Tenney  St.,  Kew. 

Tacie  M.  Bennett — B.  Sept.  25,  1899;  eighth  year  at  Guest's  Laundry; 
426  Willard  St.,  Kew. 

Mayme  A.  Buchanan — B.  Feb.  6,  1899;  grad.  of  Bradley  Polytech.  Inst.; 
attended  U.  of  I;   taught  4  years  No.  2,  Kew. 

Lawrence  D.  Cook — B.  June  11,  1898;  three  months  at  Knox.  Col.,  spe- 
cializing in  Elec.  Eng.;  armature  winder;  m.  Marjorie  Perkins;  Kew. 

Clarence  H.  Cushman — B.  March  10,  1899;  grad.  of  Knox  Col.,  B.S.  deg.; 
attended  U.  of  I.;  teacher  of  5  years'  experience;  1008  Carpenter  St.,  Iron 
Mt.,  Mich. 

Florence  I.  Gamble — B.  June  13,  1899;  three  years  at  Knox  Col.;  m. 
Charles  E.  Lauder;    312  Harvard  St.,  Apt.  202,  Minneapolis,  Minn. 

Clara  M.  Johnson — B.  Aug.  5,  1899;  took  a  9  months'  course  at  Kew. 
Bus.  Col.;    bookkeeper  and  cashier;    124  Houle  Ave.,  Kew. 

Frederick  R.  Jones — B.  Nov.  4,  1899;  took  a  correspondence  accounting 
course;  Asst.  Man.  of  Claims  Dept.  at  Wal.;  m.  Marie  McDowell;  Kew. 

LeRoy  G.  Lindstrom — B.  Dec.  10,  1899;  farmer;  m.  Mary  Epps;  No.  4, 
Kew. 

Lawrence  D.  Marvin — B.  Dec.  28,  1898;  taugh  4  years;  general  helper 
at  Dunbar's  store;  m.  Alberta  Keesler;  805  E.  3rd  St.,  Kew. 

Marjorie  Y.  Moore — B.  Sept.  28,  1899;  taught  2  years;  m.  Thomas  E. 
Romig;    No.  1,  Kew. 

Marie  H.  Munson — B.  Aug.  12,  1899;  grad.  Na.  School  Cosmeticians;  in 
beauty  parlor  work;    330  Center  Ave.,  South  Haven,  Mich. 

Irene  I.  Nelson— B.  Sept.  4,  1899;  attended  Nor.;  taught  9  years;  145  E. 
Church  St.,  Kew. 

Eva  E.  Norman— B.  Sept.  22,  1899;  in  clerical  work  at  Wal.;  139  Tenney 
St.,  Kew. 

Carrie  L.  Peck — B.  Apr.  10,  1899;  taught  1  year;  address,  Mrs.  Carrie  L. 
Zinn,  Wyanet,  111. 

Beatrice  Roman— B.  Aug.  1,  1900;  d.  Dec.  23,  1919;  bur.  in  Wethers- 
field  Cem. 

Mildred  I.  Shaner— B.  March  28,  1901;  grad.  of  Jr.  Col.  at  Normal;  at- 
tended U.  of  I.;  teacher;  taught  5  years;  Chadwick,  111.,  or  Neponset,  111. 

Laura  Watts— B.  Feb.  17,  1898;  bookkeeper;  2101  Prairie  Ave.,  South 
Bend,  Ind. 

Roy  M.  Yonce — B.  June  8,  1899;  Man.  Osceola  store;  m.  Eva  Kidd;  No. 
2,  Neponset,  111. 

Class  of  1918 

Raymond  R.  Anderson— B.  Dec.  23,  1900;  Grad.  of  U.  of  I.;  with  Chi- 
cago Light  and  Power  Co.;   316  N.  Harvey  St.,  Oak  Park,  111. 

Harold  Baker — B.  Aug.  13,  1900;  carpenter;  m.  Gladys  Machesney;  Kew. 

Pearl  Bohnenberger— B.  Dec.  30,  1899;  theater  cashier;  207  E.  3rd  St., 
Kew. 


WETHERSFIELP     SKETCHES 85 

William  M.  Castle — R.  Jan.  15,  1901;  one  year  at  Knox  Col.;  correspond- 
ence clerk  in  Claims  Dept.  at  Wal.;  m.  Willa  Crumbaugh;  Kew. 

Muriel  Fraser — B.  Oct.  8,  1900;  clerk  at  Herbener's  store;  325  Payson 
St.,  Kew. 

Dorothy  E.  Geer— B.  Oct.  7,  1900;  Kew. 

Allan  J.  Good— B.  Aug.  30,  1901;  attended  U.  of  I.,  3  years;  in  Acct. 
Dept.  of  Standard  Oil  Co.  at  Chicago;  m.  Frances  Lewin;  5213  Ellis  Ave., 
Chicago,  111. 

Everett  Krahn — B.  May  2,  1900;  attended  Am.  School  of  Osteopathy; 
farmer;  Vega,  Texas. 

Mary  R.  Mulholland — B.  Maich  18,  1900;  attended  Nor.;  taught  3  years; 
m.  Lester  Briggs;  Franklin  Park,  111. 

Elmer  Murchinson — B.  March  7,  1900;  attended  Knox  Col.;  Relief  Man. 
Western  Auto  Supply  Co.;  2222  W.  29th  St.,  Los  Angeles,  Calif. 

Thomas  E.  Romig — B.  Feb.  12,  1900;  farmer;  m.  Marjorie  Y.  Moore;  No. 
1,  Kew. 

Class  of  1919 

Edna  C.  Buchanan — B.  March  5,  1901;  two  years  at  Bradley  Polytech. 
Inst.;  m.  Earl  McLennan;   Neponset,  111. 

Paul  A.  Cushman — B.  June  5,  1901;  grad.  of  Knox  Col.;  studied  coach- 
ing at  U.  of  I.;  taught  1  yr.;  studying  law  at  U.  of  I.;  1105  W.  Clark  St., 
Urbana,  111.,  or  325  S.  Park  St.,  Kew. 

Hortense  L,  Felt— B.  May  14,  1900;  m.  C.  E.  VanHecker;  5023  Glen- 
wood  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 

Gertrude  A.  Gamble— B.  Nov.  24,  1901;  grad. 'of  Knox  Col.;  Asst.  libra- 
rian at  Des  Moines,  la. 

George  M.  Grubbs— B.  July  22,  1901;  machinist;  1450  E.  73rd  St.,  Los 
Angeles,  Calif. 

Arnold  N.  Johnson — B.  July  4,  1900;  shipping  clerk  at  Wal.;  145  Pay- 
son  St.,  Kew. 

Florence  M.  Kelley — B.  June  23,  1901;  attended  Nor.;  taught  1  yr.;  Kew. 

Lenora  H.  Mursener— B.  Aug.  21,  1901;   clerk;   249  Hollis  St.,  Kew. 

Fred  A.  Mulholland — B.  Nov.  15,  1901;  in  the  Receiving  Dept.  at  Wal.: 
m.  Bernadine  Higman;    114  Hollis  St.,  Kew. 

Osa  M.  Murchinson.  B.  Aug.  4,  1900.  In  Audit  Dept.  of  Boss  Man..  Co. 
128  Poplar  St.,  Kew. 

Elizabeth  J.  Nicholson — B.  July  9,  1900;  attended  Nor.;  teacher;  taught 
5  yrs.;  No.  2,  Kew. 

Agnes  H.  Oliver — B.  Aug.  3,  1900;   No.  4,  Kew. 

Anna  H.  Oliver— B.  Aug.  3,  1900;    No.  4,  Kew. 

I.  Darline  White— B.  Dec.  IS,  1899;  m.  Dr.  C.  D.  Dobbins;  Moy  Ave., 
Windsor,  Ontario,  Can. 

Class  of  1920 

Clarice  H.  Peterson — B.  Aug.  30,  1901;   No.  4,  Galva,  111. 

Etta  D.  Murchinson — B.  May  11,1902;  grad.  of  Kew.  Bus.  Col.;  private 
sec.  to  superintendent  of  transportation,  Los  Angeles;  2222  29th  St.,  Los 
Angeles,  Calif. 

Gladys  E.  Adams— B.  Apr.  23,  1902;  in  Order  Dept.  of  Boss  Man.  Co.; 
118  Poplar  St.,  Kew. 

Arvilla  M.  Anderson— B.  Oct.  10,  1903;  attended  Kew.  Bus.  Col.;  clerk; 
No.  4,  Kew. 

Maude  E.  Baldwin— B.  Aug.  20,  1902;  m.  Milton  T.  Garger;  Kew. 

Irene  G.  Carlson— B.  Sept  7,  1903;  two  years  at  Augustana  Co.;  teacher 


86 WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 

ol"  5  years'  experience;  at  the  Frances  Willard  School,  Rock  Island,  111; 
4703  8th  Ave.,  Rock  Island,  111. 

Frances  A.  Carlson — B.  Dec.  11,  1904;  teacher;  taught  5  years  at  Grant 
school,  Rock  Island;  attended  Augustana  Col.  2  years;  4703  8th  Ave.,  Rock 
Island,  111. 

Newton  C.  Ewalt — B.  July  28,  1901;  attended  Steven's  Prep  School;  at- 
tending Steven's  Col,,  Hoboken,  N.  J.;  135  34th  St.,  W.  New  York,  N.  Y., 
and  615 'Roosevelt  Ave.,  Kew. 

Ruth  Kennish — B.  Dec.  26,  1901;  was  2  years  at  Jacksonville  Woman's 
Col.;  grad.  of  Iowa  State  Col.;  teacher  of  home  economics  at  York,  Neb.; 
423   E.   6th  St.,  York,  Neb.,  and   149   W.    Div.  St.,  Kew. 

Mabel  L.  Peterson — B.  March  3,  1903;  at  Star-Courier  office;  345  E. 
Mill  St.,  Kew. 

Judith  E.  Hultgren— B.  Dec.  24,  1903;   m.  Gus  Peterson;   Kew. 

Helen  E.  Mursener — B.  Sept.  18,  1902;  bookkeeper  at  Private  Utility 
office;   114  Payson  St.,  Kew. 

Beatrice  J.  Murchinson — B.  July  21,  1902;  attended  the  Maude  Alma 
School  of  Fine  Arts  at  Galesburg,  111.;  in  the  Stock  Dept.  at  Wal.;  128 
Poplar  St.,  Kew. 

Class  of  1921 

Ethel  J.  Adams— B.  Oct.  4,  1903;  m.  William  Connell;  926  Cambridge 
St.,  Kew. 

Pearle  E.  M.  Anderson— B.  May  31,  1903;  attended  Kew.  Bus.  Col.;  m. 
Harry  Holman;    Payson  St.,  Kew. 

Harold  E.  Davis— B.  July  20,  1903;  grad.  of  N.  W.  U.,  Evanston,  111.; 
ad.  care  of  D  .W.  Davis,  Scranton,  Pa. 

Max  E.  Files — B.  Feb.  7,  1904;    farmer;   Beach,  N.  D. 

Francis  G.  Findley — B.  Dec.  2,  1904;  Man.  of  Findley  News  Agency; 
322  Hollis  St.,  Kew. 

Willis  H.  Files— B.  June  1,  1902;  checking  clerk;  616  E.  Regent  St., 
Inglewood,   Calif. 

Edith  I.  Hamilton— B.  Dec.  8,  1903;  hemmer  at  Boss  Man.  Co.;  151  W. 
Mill  St.,  Kew. 

Edna  M.   Johnson— B.   Oct.   11,   1903;    124  Houle  Ave.,  Kew. 

Mabel  M.  Johnson — B.  May  1,  1903;  attended  Nor.:  teacher;  taught  5 
years;    145  Payson  St.,  Kew. 

Laura  M.  Keets— B.  Oct.  29,  1903;  Asst.  to  Dr.  Paul  Howard;  320  W. 
Oak  St.,  Kew. 

Vivian  L.  Moore — B.  June  9,  1903;  m.  Leland  E.  Seeley;   Bradford,  Hi. 

Susan  M.  Mulholland— B.  Dec.  31,  1904;  m.  Fred  Husman;  1101  N.  Main 
St.,  Kew. 

Jessie  M.   Mannon— B.  July  12,  1903;   m.  Allan  Clayton,  Akron,  O. 

Floyd  D.  Marvin— B.  Aug.  29,  1903;  attended  Hedding  Col.;  m.  Pearl 
Todd;  insurance  work;   13  W.  Church  St.,  Kew. 

Ethel  L.  S.  Nelson— B.  Sept.  12,  1903;  grad.  of  Kew.  Bus.  Col.;  stenogra- 
pher;  145  E.  Church  St.,  Kew. 

Lois  S.  Oliver — B.  March  26,  1903;  attended  Jacksonville  Woman's  Col. 
and  James  Millikin  University;  No.  2,  Kew. 

Raymond  A.  Schmidt— B.  June  13,  1902;  in  Shipping  Dept.  at  Wal.;  438 
Willard  St.,  Kew. 

Class  of  1922 

Leonard  D.  Baldwin— B.  Feb.  27,  1904;  checker  at  Boss  Man.  Co.;  m. 
Ruth  Runnels;    521  E.  2nd  St.,  Kew. 

Milo  J.  Ballentine — B.  Jan.  5,  1904;  amateur  photographer;  529  Wil- 
lard Sf..  Kewanee,  111. 


WKTHKKSFTKLI)     SKETCHES 87 

Faith  M.  Buchanan — B.  March  1,  1904;  attended  Nor.;  teacher  of  4 
years'  experience;  No.  2,  Kew. 

Frances  M.  E.  Coyne— B.  Oct.  7,  1904;  m.  Elsworth  W.  Hayden;  848 
Pine   St.,  Kew. 

Ethel  M.  Dallman— B.  Apr.  22,  1904;  m.  Marion  K.  Westbrook;  South 
Gate,  Calif. 

Dale  D.  Dexter— B.  July  9,  1902;  truck  driver  in  feed  business;  429 
Prospect    Terrace,    Freeport,   111. 

Charles  C.  Van  Dyke— B.  Sept.  43,  1904;  attending  U.  of  I.;  1207  Spring- 
field Ave.,  Urbana,  111. 

Lewis  E.  Fischer — B.  March  6,  4903;   in  office  work  at  Wal.;    216  Willard 
St.,  Kew. 

Carmita  D.  Henry — B.  Apr.  26,  4905;  attended  Kew.  Bus.  Col.;  office 
girl  for  Dr.  Chas.  A.  Coffin;   444  Hollis  St.,  Kew. 

Frances  A.  LaRue— B.  Oct.  22,  1904;  in  the  Billing  Dept.  at  Wal.;  235 
Dwight  St.,  Kewanee,  111. 

Marjorie  B.  Mahaffey — B.  Oct.  2,  4902;  attended  Nor.;  teacher  of  2 
years'  experience;  No.  6,  Kew. 

Vivan  F.  Munson — B.  June  44,  4903;  truck  driver  for  Kewanee  Private 
Ser.  Co.;   442  S.  Main  St.,  Kew. 

Kenneth  P.  Murchinson — B.  Feb.  45,  4904;  Asst.  Treas.  of  Los  Angeles 
Athletic  Club;  2222  W.  29th  St.,  Los  Angeles,  Calif. 

Edna  M.  Mursener — B.  Aug.  4,  4906;  attended  Nor.;  teacher;  taught  2 
years;  249  Hollis  St.,  Kew. 

Marjorie  L.  Mursener — B.  May  25,  1904;  office  girl  for  Drs.  McDermott 
and  Helmer;   444  Payson  St.,  Kew. 

Florence  I.  Rose — B.  June  4,  1905;  bookkeeper  at  Savings  Bank;  No. 
2,  Kew. 

Flora  M.  Showers— B.  June  24,  4904;  office  girl  at  Wal.;  319  E.  Divi- 
sion St.,  Kew. 

Joseph  C.  Scold— B.  Apr.  24,  4904;  in  photo  section  of  aeronautics, 
Mitchell  Field,  N.  Y. 

Vivian  B.  Wipert— B.  Jan.  20,  1904;  attended  Normal  2  years;  teacher: 
taught  3  years:  No.  2,  Kew. 

Class  of  1923 

Edmund  L.  Anderson— B.  Feb.  4,  1905;  attended  U.  of  I.;  in  the  Burling- 
ton offices  at  Chicago;  316  N.  Harvey  St.,  Oak  Park,  111. 

Lena  Golden— B.  Apr.  8,  1906;  attended  U.  of  C;  m.  Al.  Hendleman; 
2305  Grand  Ave.,  Des  Moines,   la. 

James  F.  Green— B.  May  7,  1904;  attending  U.  of  I.;  133  Dwight  St., 
Kew. 

Edna  M.  Hulbert— B.  March  4,  4905;  m.  Harry  F.  PettingilD  600  E  2nd 
St.,  Kew. 

Edna  E.  Johnson— B.  Aug.  23,  4905;  attending  Nor.;  taught  1  yr.;  145 
Payson  St.,  Kew. 

Lyle  S.  Marvin— B.  Sept.  25,  1905;   at  Wal.;   511  Tenney  St.,  Kew. 

Gladys  I  .Mannon— B.  July  23,  1905;  stenographer;  m.  Herbert  Ash- 
ley;  Kew. 

Feryl    I.    Miller— B.    May    31,    1905;    m.    Green   Dalton;    222    Dwight    St 
Kew. 

Florence  M.  Norman— B.  Oct.  14,  1906;  office  asst.  to  Dr  Warren  T 
Heaps;   139  Tenney  St.,  Kew. 

Mary  M.  Negley— B.  July  29,  1905;  nurse  cadet  at  Chicago  Presbvterian 
hospital;   415  Tenney  St.,  Kew. 


88 WKTHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 

Clarence  R.  Nelson — B.  May  28,  1905;  attending  Augustana  Col.;  145 
E.  Church  St.,  Kew. 

James  W.  Pauli — B.  Sept.  24,  1905;   farmer;   No.  5,  Kew. 

Gladys  M.  Wipert — B.  Jan.  3,  1907;  attended  Macomb  Nor.;  teacher; 
No.  2,  Kew. 

Lawrence  E.  Wemple — B.  Jan.  3,  1904;  at  Kelly  Motor  Co.;  110  College 
St.,  Kew. 

Class  of  1924 

Harold  E.  Anderson — B.  Feb.  3,  1907;  pressman,  Star-Courier  office;  239 
Payson  St.,  Kewanee,  111. 

Ella  M.  Adams — B.  July  25,  1906;  nurse  cadet  at  Kewanee  Pub.  hos- 
pital;  118  Tenney  St.,  Kew. 

Herman  Baker — B.  March  31,  1907;   carpenter;   332  Tenney  St.,  Kew. 

Earl  B.  Carlson— B.  Dec.  4,  1906;  attending  U.  of  I.;  Kew. 

Bertha  B.  Dexter— B.  Apr.  4,  1906;    attending  Col.;    No.   2,  Galva,  111. 

Mary  M.  Dittmar— B.  Oct.  1,  1906;   sales  clerk;   512  S.  Main  St.,  Kew. 

Bernice  C.  Findley— B.  Sept.  13,  1906;  teaching;  322  Hollis  St.,  Kew. 

Harriet  D.  Green— B.  Jan.  4,  1906;   at  Normal;   133  Dwight  St.,  Kew. 

Florence  V.  Hallock— B.  Dec.  21,  1906;  teacher;  Bradford,  111. 

Helen  I.  LaRue— B.  Jan.  4,  1907;   m.  Forest  Keim;   No.  4,  Toulon,  111. 

William  Nicholson — B.  March  7,  1906;    farmer;    No.  2,  Kew. 

Frances  P.  Pauli;   B.  Sept.  4,  1904;   No.  5,  Kew. 

Lucile  Prutsman— B.  July  11,  1905;   717  Pine  St.,  Kew. 

Ardythe  M.  Radford— B.  Oct.  14,  1906;  m.  Elmer  Freidland;  Wood- 
stock, 111. 

George  A.  Robson — B.  Nov.  5,  1906;  taking  a  Cor.  Course  in  Applied 
Science;  Toulon,  111. 

William  W.  Rosenow — B.  March  2,  1907;  attended  Kew.  Bus.  Col.;  clerk; 
Willard  St.,  Kew. 

Katherine  M.  Shaner — B.  Jan.  9,  1904;  telephone  girl;  801  Pleasant 
St.,  Kew. 

Edythe  M.  Thompson — B.  May  15,  1908;   stenographer;  No,  2,  Kew. 

John  K.  Wickliffe— B.  March  1,  1906;  at  IT.  of  I;  116  W.  McClure  St., 
Kew. 

Alice  V.  Wilson — B.  Oct.  18,  1906;  attended  Kewanee  Bus.  Col.;  stenog- 
rapher; 335  Payson  St.,  Kew. 

Class  of  1925 

Russell  Bowman — B.  June  19,  1907;    243   Mosher  Ave.,  Kew. 
Hazel  F.  VanDyke— B.  May  24,  1906;   136  Mill  St.,  Kew. 
Lois  B.  Green— B.  Sept.  1,  1907;    133  Dwight  St.,  Kew. 
Frances   I.   Hamilton— B.    May   21,   1908;    340   Payson   St.,  Kew. 
William  W.  LaRue— B.  Aug.  29,  1908;  235  Dwight  St.,  Kew. 
Clement  J.  O'Neill— B.  March  28,  1905;  No.  2,  Kew. 
Kenneth  B.  Partridge— B.  June  25,  1908;   128  Dwight  St.,  Kew. 
Luella  C.  Page— B.  April  27,  1908;   No.  2,  Kew. 
Leigh  E.  Palmer— B.  July  4,  1907;  320  South  St.,  Kew. 
Oliver  C.  Rotz— B.  July  9,  1907;    817  Dewy  Ave.,  Kew. 
Hazel  A.  Shreck— B.  Apr.  23,  1906;   33  W.  Div.  St.,  Kew. 
Ila  M.  Wilson— B.  Feb.  6,  1908;  335  Payson  St.,  Kew. 
Ralph  A.  Youngren— B.  Feb.  1,  1907;   132  W.  Church  St.,  Kew. 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


S9 


Senior  Class   (1925-26) 


Girls — 

Frances  Brown 
Marie  DeCraene 
Helen  Extrom 
Gunhill   Hultgren 
Kathryn  McKinney 
Dorothy  Mannon 
Dorothy   Martin 
Hazel  Putnam 
Geneva  Sornberger 
Vera  Schmidt 


Boys — 

Robert   Buswell 
Lawrence  Couve 
Warren  Castle 
Clarence  Johnson 
Louis  Kopp 
Paul  Negley 
William  Oliver 
Donald  Richards 
Leonard  Tomlinson 
Maurice  Townsend 
Walter  Wickliffe 


Wethersfield    Flower   Bed 


90 


WI-rmiORSFIHMJ)     SKETCHES 


Our  Soldiers  and  Sailors 


The  next  few  pages  are  given  to  the  soldiers  and  sailors  who  were 
born  in,  are  living  in  or  were  sent  from  Wethersfield  township.  Uninten- 
tionally, some  may  have  been  left  out  and  some  mistakes  have  been  made. 
I  am  leaving  a  few  blank  pages  in  which  records  left  out  may  be  entered 
in   writing. 

A  call  came  to  those  boys  and  men, — a  call  to  duty, — and  they  obeyed 
that  call  as  every  true  patriot  will. 

The    Call    to    Duty 

(1917) 


P^ 


In  the  gloaming  of  the  shadows, 
Harken  to  that  distant  call, 

'Tis  a  voice  from  out  the  darkness, 
For  each  one  and  for  us  all. 

Wretched  mothers,  starved  children, 
Call  to  us  beyond  the  sea, 

And  to  them  must  we  answer 
As  we  love  humanity. 

We,  a  nation,  have  a  duty 
Cost  it  ever  what  it  will, 

We  no  longer  can  avoid  it, 
We  no  longer  can  be  still. 

Fling  aloft  our  starry  banner, 
Let  it  wave  in  every  breeze, 

'Tis  for  liberty  and  justice, 
'Tis  for  freedom  of  the  seas. 


William  E.  Sanford,  b.  March  31,  1871 

123   E.   Div.   St.,  Kewanee,  Illinois 
William    E.    Sanford   was    in   the    Inspection   Div.    Proving   Ground   Sec. 
Ord.  Dept.  being  in  charge  of  the  Mechanic's  Equipment  of  Proving  Grounds 
established    in    various    parts    of    the    U.    S.      He    spent    considerable    time 
lecturing  on  the  chemistry  of  explosives. 

He  was  stationed  temporarily  at  Rock  Island,  Illinois,  and  permanently 
at  Washington,  D.  C.  He  was  commissioned  Major  Sept.  29,  1917.  His  dis- 
charge took  place  Dec.  21,  1918. 

Arnold  Kulgren,  b.  Jan.  9,  1899 

Entered  the  army  Oct.  10,  1918.  He  was  stationed  at  Camp  Colt,  Pa. 
until  Nov.  26,  1918,  when  he  was  sent  to  Camp  Dix,  N.  J.    He  was  afterwards 


WKTH  MKSFI  K  L 1  >     S  K  UTTH  KS 91 

stationed  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Mo.,  and  at  Forts  Oglethorpe  and  McPher- 
son,  Ga.  He  was  discharged  March  5,  1920.  He  is  now  living  at  Los  Angeles, 
California. 

Charles  S.  Robson,  b.  Feb.  6,  1892. 

Farmer.  No.   3,   Toulon,  Illinois 

Charles  S.  Robson  enlisted  April  10,  1918  in  the  First  Army  Headquar- 
ters Corps.  He  was  stationed  at  Peoria  for  one  month  and  then  sent  to 
Camp  Hancock,  Ga.  He  sailed  from  Newport  News  in  July,  1918,  and  in 
12  days  landed  at  Brest,  France.  On  the  last  day  of  the  journey  the  fleet 
was  met  by  ten  sub-destroyers  which  protected  the  boats  until  they  reached 
the  harbor. 

Mr.  Robson  was  attached  to  the  First  Army  Headquarters  Corps,  as 
chauffeur  for  nine  months,  carrying  supplies  to  the  boys  under  heavy 
shell  fire.  While  on  a  fourteen  day's  furlough,  he  visited  Paris,  Nice  and 
other  cities  in  France.  He  considers  southern  France  far  superior  in  beauty 
to  the  region  about  Paris.     He  was  discharged  June  26,  1919. 

George  Ford.  b.  Aug.  24,  1888. 

Occupation:   At  Private  Utilities  Co.  of  Kewanee,  Illinois. 

Address:   126  Smith  St.,  Kewanee,  Illinois 

Went  from  Kewanee,  arriving  at  Great  Lakes  Naval  Training  Station 
on  May  31,  1918,  where  he  entered  the  207th  Co.,  14th  Regiment.  At  the 
Detention  camp  he  was  vaccinated,  receiving  three  "shots"  and  was 
quaranteened  for  twenty-one  days.  He  was  then  sent  to  Camp  Ross,  Co.  H., 
Barracks   1039. 

After  supper,  we  were  dismissed,  each  man  to  look  after  himself  for 
the  night.  League  Island  was  then  a  "City  of  Tents"  and  not  enough  tents 
to  go  around — but  during  the  scramble  we  managed  to  get  a  tent  with 
cots    in    it. 

Next  morning  I  was  up  quite  early  and  got  my  first  glimpse  of  the 
Delaware  River  before  "chow  call."  League  Island  and  the  Navy  Yards  lie 
along  the  Deleware  River  on  a  level  piece  of  ground.  The  drill  field  lay 
off  by  itself,  a  sandy  three-acre  strip  of  land.  This  field  lay  very  close  to 
the  place  where  Washington  crossed  the  Delaware  in  1776.  During  the 
drills  which  took  place  after  breakfast,  the  sailors  stood  in  formation,  three 
feet  apart,  facing  and  obeying  orders  of  their  individual  unit's  officer  who 
in  turn  obeyed  the  head  officer's  orders  which  were  shouted  through  a 
megaphone  from  a  sort  of  bandstand  at  one  side  of  the  drill  field. 

On  July  6,  1918,  he  left  the  Great  Lakes  Naval  Training  Station  for 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  arriving  there  July  7,  1918.  He  was  stationed  at  League 
Island  Navy  Yards,  Camp  Simms.  The  life  of  a  sailor  at  this  camp  is 
described  in  Mr.  Ford's  own  words: 

"Going  to  and  during  my  stay  at  League  Island,  I  was  fortunate  in 
having  as  a  companion  a  Kewanee  boy,  Russell  Peden.  We  reached  the 
Island  at  5:00  p.  m.  and  were  at  once  marched  to  the  administration 
building  where  we  were  checked  in  and  then  to  a  large  mess  hall  for  supper. 

These  drills  were  known  as  Swedish  calisthenics  and  lasted  two  hours. 
Sometimes  the  band  played  while  we  were  being  put  through  these  drills, 
though  the  drills  were  very  interesting,  and  we  did  not  need  much  en- 
couragement. After  drilling  was  over  we  had  the  time  to  ourselves  i ill 
the   noon   hour. 

Our  meals  were  served  cafeteria  fashion.  The  men  marched  in  orderly 
lines  into  the  mess  hall  where  they  were  given  plates  and  helped  to  food, 
then  on  into  the  center  ot  the  room  where  were  tables  for  holding  our 
plates  while  we  stood  eating.     The  food  was  of  the  plainest  but  fairly  good. 


92 WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 

League  Island  and  the  Navy  Yard  are  separated  by  a  fence.  League 
Island  is  just  a  stopping  place  tor  sailors  on  their  way  to  overseas  duty; 
while  the  Navy  Yards  is  a  place  of  many  machine  shops  tor  repairing 
ships,  etc.  At  this  Navy  Yard  I  had  my  first  real  thrill  when  I  saw  for 
the  first  time  a  large  ocean  vessel — a  transport.  To  me  it  seemed  just  a 
powerful  giant.  I  was  here  for  ten  days,  eating,  sleeping,  drilling,  washing 
clothes  and  going  on  occasional  liberties  about  Philadelphia.  Then  I  was 
placed  in  an  overseas  unit  and  left  for  Hoboken,  N.  J." 

July  17,  1918,  Mr.  Ford  left  Camp  Simms  with  a  draft  of  500  men  for 
Hoboken,  N.  J.  Here  he,  with  ten  thousand  soldiers  and  sailors,  were 
loaded  on  the  transport,  U.  S.  S.  George  Washington.  This  transport  set  sail 
July  18,  1918,  and  arrived  at  Brest,  France,  July  30. 

In  transporting  our  boys  to  France  a  convoy  of  from  six  to  fifteen 
vessels  went  at  a  time.  The  admiral's  ship  was  in  the  center  of  the 
group  of  ships.  Every  ship  had  its  own  position  and  flag.  When  the 
admiral  wished  to  communicate  with  a  particular  ship  he  would  hoist 
that  ship's   flag.     He  would  then   communicate   with  it  by  wireless. 

While  crossing  the  danger  zones  the  ships  of  a  fleet  kept  in  formation 
and  at  a  standard  speed  of  twenty  miles  per  hour  straight  ahead  for  a 
half  hour.  Then  they  would  decrease  speed  and  go>  to  the  right  for  a 
time,  then  increase  speed  and  swing  to  the  left.  These  manoeuvers  were 
kept  up  during  the  daytime  but  at  night  the  course  was  usually  straight 
ahead  at  uniform  speed. 

The  sailors,  of  whom  there  were  about  1,600  on  board  the  George 
Washington,  fared  better  than  the  8,400  soldier  boys.  The  sailors  had 
hammocks  which  swung  in  the  rigging  of  the  upper  deck.  They  also  had 
three  meals  per  day. 

The  soldier  boys  were  crowded  into  the  two  lower  decks.  The  air 
was  stifling  at  times  and  the  decks  were  so  crowded  that  it  was  an  un- 
comfortable journey.  They  were  allowed  only  two  meals  per  day  and 
that  was  mostly  soup.  The  reason  given  was  that  there  was  a  limited 
number  of  cooks  and  of  cook  equipment.  There  was  no  chance  for  exercise 
and  the  real  reason  may  have  been  that  the  ship  doctors  thought  it  best 
for  the  boys  not  to  eat  too  much  without  proper  exercise. 

The  "mess"  cooks  or  regular  cooks  of  the  ship  had  bought  a  quantity 
of  cakes  before  starting,  and  about  the  time  the  boys  began  to  hanker  for 
something  to  eat  besides  soup,  produced  these  cakes  and  offered  them  for 
sale.  Cakes  costing  less  than  ten  cents  each  were  sold  to  the  boys  for 
from  fifty  cents  to  a  dollar  each. 

When  the  ship  was  one  day  out  from  land  each  man  on  board  was 
given  a  life  belt  and  a  canteen  full  of  water.  Rigid  inspection  was  kept 
up  and  if  a  man  was  found  without  his  life  belt  within  reach  or  without 
his  canteen  full  of  water  he  was  called  to  account  for  it. 

At  Brest,  France,  Mr.  Ford  with  twenty-five  others  and  without  an 
officer  (which  meant,  he  said,  that  they  had  a  good  time)  left  for  Mar- 
seilles, France,  where  they  arrived  Aug.  4,  1918.  On  the  same  evening 
these  men  left  on  the  U.  S.  S.  Mexican,  bound  for  Gibraltar,  Spain. 

Aug.  9th  they  reached  Gibraltar  and  were  sent  to  a  barracks  half-way 
up  Mount  Gibraltar.  From  Aug.  9th  till  Aug.  20th  the  boys  drilled  a 
little  and  had  a  good  deal  of  freedom.  There  was  no  level  ground  and 
the  drilling  was  done  on  the  side  of  the  mountain.  The  lieutenant  would 
give  his  commands  through  a  megaphone.  At  his  command  the  boys  would 
march  down  the  mountain  side  till  recalled  by  the  shout,  "To  the  Rear," 
when  they  would  return  up  the  hill  on  the  "double  quick." 

It  was  very  much  of  a  holiday  for  the  boys  till  Aug.  21,  when  the 
Spaniards,  who  loaded   the   ships  with   coal,   struck   for  higher  wages  and 


WETHERSFIKLP     SKETCHES 93 

the  sailor  boys  had  to  coal  the  ships  till  the  strike  was  settled.  The  coal 
was  carried  from  the  dock  in  baskets  holding  about  90  pounds  across  a 
plank  to  the  deck  of  the  vessel  and  dumped  into  the  hold  below. 

On  Aug.  24,  Mr.  Ford  left  the  Gibraltar  barracks  and  went  on  board 
the  U.  S.  S.  Castine.  This  boat  was  in  dry  dock  till  Aug.  29,  when  it 
"coaled"  and  took  on  supplies.  The  next  day  was  "field  day,"  not  a  play 
day  on  board  a  war  vessel  for  everything  above  water  line  had  to  be 
scrubbed,  scoured  and  burnished. 

On  Oct.  1,  the  Castine  left  Gibraltar  for  Genoa,  Italy.  Between  Oct  1 
and  Nov.  5,  two  trips  were  made  to  Genoa  and  back  to  Gibraltar.  One  of 
these  trips  was  along  the  shores  of  Spain.  Mr.  Ford  says,  "No  more  beau- 
tiful sight  than  this  coast  can  be  found.  From  the  Mediterranean,  bold 
forested  headlands  rose  high  above  the  low  fertile  plains  along  the  coast. 
The  winding  rivers  on  these  plains  looked  like  ribbons  of  silver  twisting 
through  green  fields.  Occasionally  these  silvery  ribbons  were  broken  as 
the  rivers  passed  through  white  walled  cities  and  towns." 

While  "on  liberty"  at  Genoa,  Mr.  Ford  visited  the  Cathedral  San 
Lorenzo  where  the  ashes  of  John  the  Baptist  are  said  to  lie.  He  also 
saw  the  house  where  Christopher  Columbus  was  born,  about  the  year  1435. 

While  Mr.  Ford  was  at  Gibraltar  Nov.  9,  1918,  the  H.  M.  S.  Britannia, 
forty  miles  out  at  sea,  was  sunk  by  a  submarine.  Out  of  1,100  men  on 
board  the  Britannia  only  about  150  were  saved.  On  the  evening  of  Armistice 
Day,  Nov.  11,  he  saw  the  U.  S.  S.  Ophrim  burn  in  the  harbor  of  Gibraltar. 
The  papers  of  that  day  say  that  several  lives  were  lost  in  the  disaster. 
Mr.  Ford  states  that  only  one  man  lost  his  life  and  that  man,  in  attempting 
to  get  out  a  port  hole,  became  fast  and  burned  to  death  before  he  could 
be  removed. 

On  Nov.  16,  1918,  his  ship  sailed  for  Bizerte,  Africa,  where  they  took 
on  board  seventy-five  men  who  had  been  doing  land  duty  there  and  took 
them  back  to  Gibraltar  to  be  sent  home.  On  the  return  journey  they 
passed  through  a  severe  storm,  arriving  at  Gibraltar  Nov.  24,  1918. 

Thanksgiving  Day,  Nov.  28,  was  spent  at  Gibraltar.  For  Thanksgiving 
Day  dinner  there  was  turkey,  plum  pudding,  pies,  nuts  and  cigars.  On 
Dec.  20,  which  was  pay  day,  the  home-bound  pennant  was  hoisted,  and  on 
Dec.  21,  1918,  the  fleet,  consisting  of  two  transports  carrying  troops,  four 
supply  ships  and  thirty-two  sub  chasers  left  Gibraltar  for  home. 

The  supply  ships  carried  gasoline  and  supplies  for  the  sub  chasers. 
The  method  of  supplying  a  sub  with  fuel  was  as  follows:  A  sub  would 
move  alongside  the  supply  ship  and  the  gasoline  would  be  passed  through 
a  tube  into  the  tank  of  the  sub  chaser.  The  sub  men  then  moved  to 
another  ship  for  other  supplies.  These  supplies  were  carried  by  trolley 
wires  from  the  supply  ship  to  the  sub  after  which  it  dropped  back  into 
its  regular  position. 

It  was  a  glorious  sight  in  the  eyes  of  these  home  bound  boys  to  see 
these  thirty-eight  ships  and  subs  in  formation.  The  large  ships  abreast 
were  followed  each  by  a  line  of  subs  about  200  feet  apart.  Each  sub  and 
ship  had  its  home  bound  pennant  floating  in  the  breeze. 

During  the  day  time  the  progress  of  the  fleet  did  not  average  over 
four  miles  per  hour,  due  to  time  lost  in  supplying  the  subs  with  provisions. 
At  night  the  fleet  pushed  forward  at  a  rate  of  ten  miles  per  hour.  It  was 
during  the  night  that  the  lights  of  the  vessels  lit  up  the  surrounding  waters, 
making  a  scene  of  great  beauty. 

Each  sub  had  three  lights,  a  green  light  on  the  left,  a  red  one  on  the 
right  and  a  white  one  in  the  center  and  higher  up.  Looking  from  the 
upper  deck  of  a  big  ship  one  could  see  a  ribbon  of  phosphorescent  light 
in  the  wake  of  his  ship  reaching  back  to  the  first  sub.     The  nodding  lines 


94 WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 

of  sub  lights,  red,  green  and  white;  and  the  millions  of  reflections  of  the 
sub  lights  and  of  moonlight  made  a  scene  of  beauty  never  to  be  forgotten. 

On  Dec.  26,  1918,  a  stop  was  made  at  St.  Michael  on  the  Island  Ponto 
Delgado,  one  of  the  Azores.  On  the  17th  day  of  January,  1919,  the  ships 
reached  St.  Thomas  where  the  ships  were  coaled.  On  Jan.  24,  Santo 
Domingo  was  seen  in  the  distance,  and  on  the  26th  the  boys  saw  the  city  of 
Kingston,  Jamaica.  On  the  27th  they  were  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  on 
(he  28th  of  January,  1919,  landed  at  New  Orleans. 

The  journey  had  been  partly  over  the  same  course  followed  by  Columbus 
in  1492,  but  with  what  a  difference  in  ships  and  equipment.  Columbus, 
with  frail  wooden  ships  and  with  nothing  but  the  compass  and  the  stars 
to  guide  him,  set  forth  upon  an  unknown  ocean.  This  fleet  of  the  year 
1918-19  was  of  staunch  ships  of  steel,  fitted  to  withstand  the  storms  of 
the  sea.  Every  foot  of  the  ocean  through  which  they  passed  was  charted 
and  mapped  and  every  boat  of  the  fleet  was  in  communication,  not  only 
with  each  other,  but  with  the  shores  upon  both  sides  of  them  by  wire- 
less. 

After  a  fourteen  day  furlough,  Mr.  Ford  returned  to  New  Orleans.  On 
April  7  he  left  that  place  for  Nicaragua,  While  at  Bluefield,  Nicaragua, 
he  passed  through  the  Panama  Canal.  On  the  13th  of  May  he  left  for 
Limon,  Costa  Rica.  Here  his  ship  was  stationed  for  the  purpose  of  protecting 
American  interests  imperilled  by  a  neighboring  insurrection. 

July  18,  he  was  transferred  to  the  U.  S.  S.  Paris.  From  Bocus  Detora, 
Panama,  he  went  to  Almirante  where  his  ship  took  on  board  36,000  bunches 
of  bananas.  The  ship  sailed  July  19th  for  New  Orleans.  At  New  Orleans 
he  received  his  discharge  papers  from  the  ship  and  then  went  by  train 
to  Great  Lakes  Naval  Training  Station  where  he  was  discharged  August 
1,  1919. 

Glen  C.  Craig  b.  Nov.  5,  1893 

Los  Angeles,  Calif. 

Glenn  C.  Craig  entered  the  World  War  April  29,  1918.  He  was  sta- 
tioned at  Fort  Dodge,  la.,  for  three  weeks,  practically  all  the  time  under 
quarantine  because  of  the  prevalence  of  measles  in  camp. 

From  Camp  Dodge  he  was  sent  to  Camp  Travis,  Texas,  with  others  to 
help  fill  up  the  90th  Division.  He  remained  here  just  long  enough  to  be 
equipped.  The  equipment  here  was  approximately  as  follows:  Uniform, 
campaign  hat,  pair  hob  nailed  shoes,  a  rifle,  blanket,  canteen,  cup  and  mess 
kit,  shelter  half  (which  with  another  fellow's  shelter  half  completed  the 
pup  tent),  and  an  extra  suit  of  underwear  brought  the  load  up  to  about 
thirty  pounds  weight. 

The  trip  was  made  from  Camp  Travis  to  Camp  Mills,  L.  I.,  in  Pull- 
man sleepers.  Round  about  railroads  were  taken  so  as  to  keep  the  move- 
ments of  the  troops  as  secret  as  possible.  At  Camp  Mills  his  equipment 
was  increased  by  a  heavy  overcoat,  another  blanket  and  another  pair  of 
shoes,  raising  the  weight  of  his  equipment  to  the  neighborhood  of  forty 
pounds. 

He  left  Camp  Mills  on  the  English  boat,  Kinfaun  Castle,  manned  by 
old  men  and  boys.  On  board  this  ship  each  soldier  received  a  circular 
from  King  George  saying  he  was  glad  to  carry  American  soldiers  across. 
King  George  certainly  meant  it,  for  he  was  sorely  in  need  of  our  "dough 
boys"  at  that  time. 

Mr.  Craig  landed  at  Liverpool  July  2,  1918.  The  ship  had  taken  two 
weeks  zigzagging  across  the  Atlantic.  There  were  eleven  ships  in  the 
convoy.  Two  days  out  from  Liverpool  the  ships  were  met  by  a  fleet  of 
destroyers  which  escorted  them  to  the  landing  at  Liverpool. 


WETHERSKtEEH     SKETCHES 95 

After  landing  he  was  sent  to  a  rest  camp  called  Wimbledon,  near  Win- 
chester, England.  His  first  meal,  after  a  long  march  to  this  place,  con- 
sisted of  bread,  jam  and  cheese.  Because  of  the  small  quantity  of  food 
received  here  the  boys  nicknamed  the  place  "Dwindle  Down." 

On  the  4th  of  July  those  of  the  boys  who  had  money  enough  were  al- 
lowed to  go  to  London.  Mr.  Craig  visited  the  House  of  Parliament,  London 
Bridge  and  the  Criterion,  an  English  playhouse  or  theater.  In  the  after- 
noon he  saw  an  American  ball  game  between  the  Army  and  Navy.  The 
English  king  was  at   the  ball  game,  and  was  much  interested  in  it. 

Mr.  Craig  got  back  to  camp  at  Wimbledon  at  two  o'clock  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  5th  of  July.  At  four  o'clock  of  the  same  morning  he  left  for 
Southampton  where  he  sailed  for  Cherbourg,  France.  The  English  Channel 
was  crossed  at  night  and  without  lights. 

From  Cherbourg  he  went  to  Recey  'sur'  Ource,  about  thirty-five 
miles  north  of  Dijon,  where  he  stayed  for  four  weeks  drilling  till  his  legs 
and  back  ached  and  all  the  while  sleeping  in  attics  and  barns.  While  here 
he  was  sent  with  others  to  a  smaller  town  called  Echalot,  for  more  in- 
tensive drill  in  signal  training.  This  signal  battalion  was  sent  back  to 
Recey  'sur'  Ource  for  gas  masks  and  helmets  before  going  to  the  front. 

A  "hike"  of  two  days  was  now  made  to  a  railroad.  At  camp  one  night 
the  bacon  running  short,  the  boys  in  Mr.  Craig's  mess  asked  him,  because 
he  could  speak  a  little  French,  to  go  to  a  farm  house  for  some  eggs.  He 
decided  to  go,  though  there  were  blisters  from  the  hobnails  upon  both  feet. 
He  succeeded  in  getting  eggs  enough  so  that  the  boys  had  scrambled  eggs 
and  bacon  for  supper. 

He  found  that  the  French  peasant  regarded  the  Yankee  boys  as  "queer" 
for  they  always  asked  where  the  well  was.  The  French  peasant  used  well 
water  only  for  his  stock.     He  lived  in  the  grape  region  and  drank  wine. 

On  this  march  the  rest  period  of  ten  minutes  took  place  after  fifty 
minutes  of  marching.  Once  the  Signal  Battalion  stopped  for  a  rest  only  a 
few  feet  from  a  well.  The  boys  had  marched  in  the  August  sun  wearing 
their  overcoats.  Two  or  three  of  the  signal  platoon  fell  out  of  ranks  to 
get  a  drink  of  water.  The  captain  saw  them,  and  as  a  punishment  made 
the  platoon  of  thirty-two  men  load  the  baggage  of  the  whole  company  when 
they  reached  the  railroad. 

The  train  took  the  company  to  Toul  where  they  unloaded  at  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning.  At  daybreak  they  "hiked"  to  Bruley  where  they 
remained  for  a  few  days  drilling.  Here  they  saw  the  first  aeroplanes  in 
battle.  The  Signal  Platoon  were  given  rations  of  hardtack  and  corned  beef, 
"corned  willy"  as  the  boys  called  it,  loaded  into  trucks  and  sent  forward 
to  the  St.  Mihiel  sector,  leaving  the  rest  of  the  company  to  follow. 

The  Signal  Battalion  reached  the  Sector  by  moonlight.  They  stayed 
for  the  rest  of  the  night  in  wooden  shacks  covered  with  tin.  Their  beds 
were  upon  dirty  ticks  filled  with  musty  straw.  With  their  gas  masks 
"alert"  the  boys  lay  in  darkness  listening  while  the  German  shells  burst 
nearer  and  nearer.  Suddenly  a  shell  struck  a  short  distance  from  the 
shacks  and  every  boy  looked  for  the  dugouts,  which  were  not  to  be  found 
in  this  territory. 

After  a  while  the  boys  becoming  less  afraid  of  the  noise  of  bursting 
shells  and  circling  aeroplanes  returned  to  their  beds  and  dozed  off  to  sleep. 
They  had  no  sooner  begun  to  sleep  than  they  were  awakened  by  the  trench 
rats  on  the  roof.  These  rats  had  got  some  of  the  hard  tack  from  the  boys' 
mess  kits  and  were  eating  it  on  the  roofs  of  the  shacks.  Between  the  noise 
of  the  trench  rats  and  that  of  the  German  artillery  the  boys  got  very  little 
sleep. 

At  5  P.  M.,  Sept.  11,  1918,  orders  were  received  to  move  forwards  into 


96  WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


first  line  trenches.  The  boys  had  known  for  a  day  that  they  were  soon  to 
move  and  had  written  long  letters  to  the  folks  at  home.  They  had  been  in 
second  line  trenches  long  enough  to  know  what  to  expect.  Telephone  equip- 
ment, infantry,  heavy  and  light  artillery  were  soon  in  motion. 

The  march  was  through  thick  woods.  There  was  little  order  and  con- 
siderable confusion  and  congestion  especially  at  cross  roads,  for  it  was 
raining  and  the  roads  were  dark  and  muddy.  After  getting  closer  to  the 
front  the  congestion  was  less,  for  the  artillery  kept  behind  the  front  lines. 
By  twelve  o'clock  the  men  were  in  the  trenches. 

At  one  o'clock  pandemonium  broke  loose.  The  light  artillery,  75  M.M. 
began  firing  from  its  position  ten  to  twenty-five  yards  back  of  the  boys  in 
the  trenches.  Here  the  enemy's  line  was  200  to  300  yards  in  front.  The 
boys  could  hear  the  heavy  artillery  farther  back  and  the  noise  of  the  shells 
as  they  flew  over  their  heads,  except  when  the  nearer  sound  of  the  light 
artillery,  drowned  all  other  sounds. 

By  daylight  of  the  12th,  the  fire  of  the  American  artillery  had  driven 
the  German  troops  to  their  second  line  trenches  and  had  filled  and  leveled 
their  first  line  trenches.  The  boys  of  the  90th  Division  who  had  been 
standing  in  the  muddy  trenches  since  one  o'clock  waiting  for  the  artillery 
fire  to  cease,  left  their  trenches  and  moved  through  the  wire  entanglements 
across  No  Man's  Land  and  into  the  enemy's  territory.  The  Great  Drive 
was  on! 

All  that  day  they  pushed  forward,  breaking  up  machine  gun  nests, 
downing  the  hidden  snipers,  taking  prisoners,  caring  for  the  wounded  and 
burying  the  dead.  A  dead  soldier,  whether  German  or  American,  was  usually 
buried  where  he  fell.  His  gun  was  stuck  in  the  ground  above  the  grave. 
One  identification  tag  and  his  helmet  was  hung  on  his  gun  and  the  other 
tag  was  carried  away  for  identification  of  the  body. 

By  the  night  of  the  14th  the  Signal  Platoon  had  good  communication  be- 
tween the  front  lines  and  headquarters  back  of  the  lines.  Mr.  Craig  says, 
"On  the  15th  my  corporal  and  I  were  out  in  the  open  watching  for  aero- 
plane signals,  when  suddenly  just  above  the  trees  shot  a  German  aeroplane 
having  a  machine  gun  pointed  at  us.  We  made  for  a  bank  close  by  till  the 
aeroplane  passed  over.  Soon  another  aeroplane  came  and  "downed"  one  of 
our  balloons  back  of  us.  The  men  in  this  balloon  went  to  the  ground  in 
parachutes  and  the  balloon  went  up  in  smoke." 

He  adds,  "Our  kitchen  had  come  up  to  our  position  and  some  of  us 
wanted  something  more  than  hardtack  and  corned  willy  for  supper.  We 
took  our  mess  kits  and  found  the  kitchen.  We  had  got  bread  and  molasses 
and  were  waiting  for  hot  coffee  when  a  German  in  his  aeroplane  spied  us 
and  signalled  to  the  German  heavy  artillery.  This  artillery  got  our  position 
and  began  firing.  We,  cooks  and  all,  left  everything  and  ran  for  shelter. 
After  the  firing  ceased  we  went  back  for  our  provisions  but  could  get  only 
cold  coffee,  as  the  cooks  had  not  returned." 

On  Sept.  26,  there  was  a  big  drive  all  along  the  front.  On  that  day 
the  90th  Division  made  a  small  offensive  move  which  resulted  in  the  cap- 
ture of  a  few  prisoners  and  in  considerable  loss  of  life  on  their  part.  The 
90th's  position  on  this  day  was  west  of  the  Moselle  river  and  south  of 
Metz.  The  division  remained  here  till  Oct.  10,  when  it  was  relieved  by  the 
7th  Division. 

On  Oct.  10,  the  90th  Division  marched  back  to  the  vicinity  of  Bruley 
where  the  boys  expected  a  rest,  but  tired  and  hungry,  they  were  put  10 
drilling  on  the  day  after  arriving,  and  on  the  third  day  loaded  into  trucks 
and  at  midnight  started  for  the  Meuse  Argonne  Sector.  Here  they  ad- 
vanced a  little  each  day  to  get  in  position  for  the  great  drive  that  was 
scheduled  to  take  place  on  Nov.  1,  1918. 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


On  the  night  of  Oct.  28,  the  90th  Division  camped  near  Montt'aucon,  a 
place  that  had  been  taken  two  days  before.  On  the  night  of  the  30th,  the 
Germans  shelled  the  Division,  for  their  scouts  had  located  its  position.  The 
drive  that  was  to  end  the  war  began  on  the  1st  of  November.  By  the  2nd 
the  Gennans  were  moving  so  fast  that  the  allied  armies  could  not  keep  up 
with  them. 

On  the  9th  the  Division  crossed  the  Meuse  and  spent  the  night  of  the 
10th  at  Mouzay.  Here  the  boys  received  the  first  news  that  firing  was  to 
cease  at  eleven  o'clock  the  next  day. 

Very  little  firing  was  done  at  Mouzay  on  the  morning  of  the  11th.  The 
remainder  of  the  day  was  so  quiet  that  the  boys  who  had  become  accustomed 
to  the  continuous  din  of  battle  could  hardly  realize  that  the  war  was  over. 

On  the  12th  the  Division  marched  back  across  the  Mozelle  where  they 
remained  till  the  19th.  Then  they  went  north  through  Luxemburg  and  up 
the  Mozelle  to  Bullay,  thence  north  (orders  becoming  mixed),  and  then  back 
to  Urzig.  Here  the  boys  ate  their  Christmas  dinner,  receiving  as  extras  two 
chocolates  and  some  canned  peaches. 

The  Division  remained  at  Urzig  till  May  17,  1919.  In  April  the  boys 
were  allowed  a  two  weeks'  furlough.  Mr.  Craig  spent  most  of  his  furlough 
in  visiting  Toulon,  Lyons  and  Paris.  He  left  Urzig  May  17th  and  traveled 
to  St.  Nazairre.  Here,  on  May  29th,  he  went  on  board  the  ship,  U.  S.  S.  Wil- 
helmina  and  arrived  at  Newport  News,  Va.,  on  June  9,  1919.  From  Newport 
News  he  went  to  Camp  Grant  where  he  was  discharged  June  16,  1919. 

Fenton  C.  Allen  b.  July  26,  1888 

Molder,  Kewanee,  Illinois 

Member  of  35th  Division,  Co.  F.,  138  Inf. 

On  May  1,  1918,  Mr.  Allen  left  Camp  Dodge,  la.,  for  Camp  Mills,  N.  Y. 
On  May  6,  1918,  he  left  for  overseas  duty  on  the  English  ship  "Recess,"  ar- 
riving at  Southampton,  England,  May  27,  1918. 

In  the  fleet  carrying  his  regiment  there  were  twelve  ships.  Off  the 
Irish  coast  one  of  the  ships  was  torpedoed  and  sunk  by  a  German  submarine. 
Due  to  prompt  action  by  the  other  ships,  only  fifty  men  were  lost,  and  these 
were  in  that  part  of  the  ship  where  the  torpedo  exploded. 

The  English  Channel  was  crossed  to  La  Harve  at  night  without  lights. 
Here  each  soldier  was  given  an  English  Enfield  rifle  and  an  English  gas 
mask.  He  left  La  Harve  May  29th  and  by  train  and  on  foot  reached  Grand- 
court  on  June  8,  1918.     From  Grandcourt  he  was  sent  to  Neuchatel. 

He  was  stationed  in  the  Swiss  Alps  till  June  29th.  Here  his  Division 
was  so  close  to  the  German  position  that  the  French  officers  would  allow- 
no  drilling  for  fear  of  drawing  the  artillery  fire  of  the  enemy.  While  sta- 
tioned here  he  saw  two  German  planes  brought  to  the  ground. 

June  30th  was  his  first  day  in  the  trenches.  His  company  was  so  close 
to  the  Germans  that  he  could  hear  them  coughing  at  night.  In  some  places 
the  two  lines  were  only  a  few  hundred  feet  apart. 

On  July  9th  his  company  was  relieved  and  sent  back  to  Wesserling. 
From  Wesserling  they  marched  by  night  to  a  large  dugout  about  three 
miles  from  the  enemy's  lines.  This  dugout  was  in  the  side  of  a  mountain 
and  would  shelter  a  regiment  of  soldiers. 

It  had  been  made  and  occupied  by  the  French  soldiers  before  used  by 
the  Americans.  Its  walls  were  honeycombed  with  holes  about  three  feet 
square  and  seven  feet  deep.  These  holes  were  boarded  up  and  looked  very 
much  like  horizontal  coal  shafts.  Each  shaft  had  a  mattress  which,  with 
the  soldiers'  blankets,  made  quite  a  comfortable  bed. 

From  this  dugout  he  went  into  the  first  line  trenches  through  a  boarded 


98 WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 

up  tunnel  camouflaged  with  bushes  and  trees.  The  following  is  a  record 
taken  from  his  diary: 

August  17 — Heavy  artillery  fire  by  the  Germans. 

August  19 — Lot  of  extra  work  today.  Nearly  got  shot  by  a  German 
sniper's  bullet.    Pretty  close  call. 

August  20 — Very  quiet. 

August  21 — Air  battle.     Heavy  artillery  fire. 

August  22 — Everything  quiet. 

August  23 — Same  as  yesterday. 

August  24 — Some  rain. 

August  25 — Out  in  No  Man's  Land  picking  blackberries.  (Nearly 
bumped  by  a  sniper's  shot.) 

August  26 — Two  wounded. 

August  27-28— Quiet. 

August  29— Weather  O.  K. 

August  30 — Rain. 

He  left  these  trenches  and  on  Sept.  2,  was  stationed  at  Nancy,  France. 
On  Sept.  12,  his  Division  was  stationed  in  a  dense  woods  back  of  Metz  wait- 
ing for  the  great  drive  which  was  soon  to  take  place. 

At  5:30  a.  m.,  on  Sept.  17,  1918,  the  heavy  artillery  stationed  in  front 
of  the  infantry  opened  fire  upon  the  enemy.  Dense  smoke  screens  were 
made  by  the  Americans  to  cover  the  advance  of  their  infantry.  While  the 
heavy  guns  were  firing  over  their  heads  the  infantry  pushed  forward 
through  the  smoke  to  the  front.  In  the  shelter  of  a  stone  wall,  Company  F. 
rested  for  a  few  moments.  Then  over  the  top  they  went  across  the  French 
trenches  into  No  Man's  Land. 

An  exploding  shell  killed  two  men  just  in  front  of  Mr.  Allen,  severing 
the  head  of  one  of  them  from  his  body.  Mr.  Allen  leaped  over  these  bodies 
and  made  for  a  vacated  machine  gun  pit.  In  this  pit  lay  a  dead  German 
soldier.  Outside  the  pit  lay  two  Germans  and  one  American.  In  this  grue- 
some place  he  lay  for  a  few  moments  till  ordered  forward. 

The  drive  continued.  The  fire  of  the  heavy  artillery  poured  over  the 
heads  of  the  advancing  men  till  eleven  o'clock.  By  night  of  the  second  day 
of  the  drive  the  front  lines  of  the  Americans  had  advanced  seven  miles  into 
enemy  territory.  Meanwhile  so  many  horses  had  been  killed  and  the  mud- 
was  so  deep  that  the  heavy  artillery  could  not  be  moved  forward  to  support 
the  infantry.  Without  support  from  the  artillery  the  infantry  dug  them- 
selves in  and  held  the  ground  they  had  taken,  and  tractors  were  hurried 
forward  to  take  the  place  of  horses  in  moving  the  artillery. 

Company  F.  was  relieved  and  sent  back  of  the  lines  on  Sept.  22.  Out 
of  220  men  the  killed,  wounded  and  disabled  had  reduced  the  company  to 
96  men.  After  the  company  was  brought  up  to  the  required  number  by 
taking  some  of  the  84th  Division  it  returned  to  the  front.  Here  several  of 
the  company  were  gassed,  after  which  they  were  relieved  and  sent  to  a 
camp  about  twenty  miles  from  Metz.  The  company  was  here  on  Nov.  11, 
1918. 

In  February  he  was  sent  to  a  Belgian  camp  near  St.  Nazairre.  He  was 
here  a  week.  From  this  camp  he  went  to  St.  Nazairre  where  he  boarded 
the  Kaiser's  pleasure  boat,  the  Louis,  for  Newport  News.  A  week  after 
landing  he  was  sent  to  Camp  Grant  where  he  was  discharged  May  13,  1919. 

Hayden  H.  Hendrick  b.  Dec.  11,  1893 

Occupation:     Taxicab  Business       Address:     425  Rockwell  St.,  Kewanee,  111. 

He  enlisted  for  aviation  field  work  Dec.  11,  1917,  and  was  sent  to  Jef- 
ferson Barracks,  Mo.     He  was  at  Kelley's  Field  for  a  short  time,  then  was 


WETHERSFIELP     SKETCHES 99 

sent  to  Camp  Hancock,  Augusta,  Ga.  He  was  here  from  Dec.  22,  1917,  till 
March  9,  1918,  then  was  sent  to  Ellington  Field,  an  aviation  camp  at  Hous- 
ton, Texas.     He  stayed  here  till  discharged  March  11,  1919. 

Mr.  Hendrick  says  that  he  enlisted  as  a  truck  driver,  but  Uncle  Sam 
made  a  cook  out  of  him.  He  was  a  truck  boss  till  he  reached  Ellington 
Field.  The  second  day  at  Ellington  Field  he  was  given  a  pick  and  was  told 
that  he  needed  to  "reduce."    The  next  day  he  was  put  into  the  kitchen. 

He  was  cook  for  a  year  at  Ellington  Field.  He  says  that  when  he  be- 
gan he  couldn't  boil  water.  But  adds,  "It  makes  no  difference  what  you 
are  or  who  you  are,  nothing  is  impossible  in  the  army." 

Charles  J.  Anthony  March  16,  1895 

Boiler  Maker,  Kewanee,  111. 

He  entered  the  World  War  April  1,  1918,  as  a  member  of  Co.  F.,  of  the 
35th  Division.  On  Sept.  17,  1918,  when  his  company  went  over  the  top  he 
received  a  slight  wound  from  a  piece  of  shrapnel  but  was  not  disabled.  On 
Nov.  7,  1918,  he  was  gassed  and  taken  to  the  hospital.  His  discharge  took 
place  on  May  13,  1919. 

He  was  on  the  northern  part  of  the  Wesserling  Sector  from  June  30 
to  July  10,  1918,  on  the  Iserardmer  subsector  from  Aug.  14  till  Sept.  2,  1918; 
St.  Mihiel  Reserves,  Sept.  11  till  the  18th,  and  on  the  Sommedieu  Sector 
from  Oct.  15,  till  Nov.  7,  1918. 

Ross  W.  Craig  b.  April  22,  1896 

Farmer,  Galva,  111. 

Ross  W.  Craig  became  a  member  of  Battery  C,  333d  Field  Artillery 
on  June  26,  1918.  He  was  first  stationed  at  Camp  Grant.  On  July  15,  1918, 
he  was  sent  to  Camp  Robinson  near  Sparta,  Wis.  He  left  this  camp  for 
Chicago  over  C.  N.  W.  and  St.  Paul  R.  R.  on  Sept.  4,  1918.  The  Grand 
Trunk  R.  R.  was  taken  to  Niagara.  Here  the  Lehigh  Valley  R.  R.  was 
taken  for  New  York  City. 

He  arrived  at  Camp  Mills,  L.  I.,  Sept.  7,  1918.  On  Sept.  16,  he  left  for 
overseas  on  the  Metagama.  He  went  on  board  at  7  P.  M.  The  boat  stayed 
in  the  harbor  all  night  and  left  the  next  morning  at  8:30  A.  M.  The  fol- 
lowing is  from  his  diary: 

Wed.  18 — Rain  and  sea  a  little  rough.     Submarines  reported  near  us. 

Thurs.  19 — Three  shot  fired.     Ready  for  the  life  boats. 

Fri.  20 — Saw  sharks  100  yards  from  the  ship. 

Sat.  and  Sun. — Calm. 

Mon.  23 — On  guard.    Rough  sea  at  night. 

Tues.  24 — First  real  meal.  Our  army  cooks  on  the  job.  Ships  turned 
and  went  back  for  several  hours. 

Wed.,  Thurs.  and  Fri. — Rough  seas.  Convoy  of  ten  torpedo  boats  met 
us  and  guarded  us  into  port. 

Sat.  28— Sighted  Ireland. 

Sun.  29 — Came  up  the  Clyde  River  and  docked  at  Glasgow. 

Mon.  30 — Arrived  at  Camp  Ramsey,  Eng. 

Oct.  1,  1918,  left  Camp  Ramsey  and  with  full  packs  marched  to  South- 
ampton. Started  to  cross  the  channel  at  7:30  P.  M.,  but  were  chased  back 
by  subs. 

Oct.  2— Started  again  at  7:30  P.  M. 

Oct.  3 — Arrived  at  Cherbourg,  France,  at  2  A.  M. 

Oct.  4 — Loaded  in  box  cars,  40  men  to  a  car,  with  rations  of  corned 
beef  and  hard  tack  and  sent  to  Camp  Hunt  near  Bordeaux.     Arrived  Oct.  6. 


100 WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 

He  was  at  this  camp  when  the  Armistice  was  signed.  On  Dec.  25,  1918, 
he  sailed  for  home,  arriving  at  New  York  City  Jan.  8,  1919.  He  was  sent 
to  Camp  Mills,  thence  to  Camp  Grant,  where  he  was  discharged  Jan.  19,  1919. 

George  W.  Felton  b.  Jan.  21,  1892 

Sheet  Metal  Worker  901  Pleasant  View  Ave.,  Kewanee,  111. 

He  entered  the  war  April  2,  1918.  He  was  first  stationed  at  Camp 
Nichols  near  New  Orleans  where  he  remained  about  three  months.  He  was 
transferred  from  the  15th  Coast  Artillery  to  the  13th  and  stationed  at  Fort 
St.  Philips,  eighty  miles  south  of  New  Orleans,  La.,  near  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico. 

He  was  on  guard  duty  here  till  the  Armistice  was  declared  Nov.  11,  1918. 
The  duty  of  his  patrol  was  to  let  no  ship  pass  up  the  river  to  New  Orleans 
except  such  as  had  been  given  permission  farther  down  the  river.  At  the 
lower  station  all  ships  were  searched  and  given  right  of  way.  The  guards 
at  Fort  St.  Philips  were  to  prevent  ships  from  sneaking  through. 

There  was  an  immense  lot  of  shipping  at  New  Orleans.  An  enemy's 
submarine  could  do  a  lot  of  damage.  There  was  also  danger  of  spies  getting 
into  the  country  on  vessels  from  Mexico.  Mr.  Felton  was  discharged  from 
Camp  Grant. 

John  Brewster  Hoffman  b.  May  19,  1897 

Kewanee,  111. 

He  left  the  University  of  Illinois  to  enlist  in  the  Naval  Aviation  Corps 
of  Great  Lakes  Training  Camp  on  June  22,  1918.  After  leaving  the  deten- 
tion camp  he  was  at  Camps  Carey  and  Dewey.  He  was  relieved  from 
active  duty  Jan.  12,  1919,  and  discharged  Aug.  20,  1920,  as  second  class 
machinist  mate. 

Mr.  Hoffman  gives  the  following  description  of  a  machinist  work  in  the 
aviation  camp: 

"We  rose  at  6  A.  M.  The  barracks  were  two  story  buildings,  each  story 
divided  crosswise  into  two  rooms.  Each  room  contained  from  50  to  60 
men.  The  men  in  these  rooms  slept  in  hammocks.  Between  6  and  7  o'clock 
regular  army  drill  was  conducted.  All  took  part  in  this  drill  except  about 
a  dozen  in  each  room.  These  cleaned  the  room.  A  man  served  in  the 
"cleaners"  for  a  week  at  a  time. 

Breakfast  was  served  at  7  o'clock  after  which  the  whole  regiment  lined 
up  for  inspection.  Inspection  was  not  very  rigid,  being  more  like  a  general 
assembly.  After  breakfast  we  marched  to  the  shops  where  each  man 
studied  some  phase  of  aeronautics. 

The  first  step  in  the  study  was  to  become  familiar  with  general  arith- 
metic and  the  study  of  powers  and  roots.  Nothing  was  done  with  logarithms. 

Next  we  took  up  the  study  of  engines,  particularly  the  Liberty  engine. 
Much  work  was  done  also  in  the  copper  shop  and  in  the  blacksmith  shop. 
The  last  work  finished  up  with  overhauling  a  worn  out  motor  and  rebuild- 
ing its  worn  out  parts,  after  which  we  took  it  to  test  sheds  where  it  was 
tried  out." 

Herman  A.  Gleich  b.  March  20,  1890 

Traffic  Clerk  at  the  Private  Utility  Co.  302  Hollis  St.,  Kewanee,  III. 

Herman  A.  Gleich  became  a  soldier  in  the  World  War  on  Sept.  30,  1918. 
He  was  sent  to  Jefferson  Barracks  where  he  remained  till  Oct.  11,  1918. 
While  he  was  at  this  camp  there  was  a  great  deal  of  sickness.    There  were 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


101 


not  sufficient  hospitals  for  the  sick  and  some  of  them  lay  in  barns,  ware- 
houses, etc. 

On  Oct.  18,  1918,  he  was  sent  to  Camp  MacArthur,  Waco,  Texas.  Here 
he  took  the  examination  for  overseas  work  but  did  not  pass.  He  then  be- 
came assistant  to  the  personnel  adjutant  of  the  5th  Battalion  Headquarters. 
He  remained  here  till  Dec.  4,  1918.  He  was  transferred  to  the  discharge 
battalion  Dec.  26,  1918,  and  sent  to  Camp  Grant.  He  was  discharged  Jan. 
3,  1919. 


Harold  W.  German 
Machine  Tender  at  Walworth's 


b.  Oct.  1,  1902 

401  Hollis  St.,  Kewanee,  111. 


Enlisted  Nov.  16,  1920,  in  D.  Battery,  15th  Field  Artillery.  He  spent  a 
few  days  at  Chickasha,  Okla.,  after  which  he  went  to  San  Antonio,  Texas. 
Here  he  was  in  the  Regular  Army  three  years.  He  was  discharged  Nov. 
15,  1923. 

While  at  San  Antonio,  Mr.  German  took  part  in  the  routine  life  of  a 
soldier.  While  on  a  furlough  he  visited  in  Mexico  on  a  holiday  and  saw 
cue  national  sport  of  the  Mexican  people.     Namely,  a  bull  fight. 

Mr.  German  here  gives  a  day's  work  in  the  regular  army  life  at  San 
Antonio,  and  of  a  bull  fight  in  Old  Mexico. 

"The  first  call  was  at  5:45  A.  M.,  at  6  reveille  was  sounded  and  the 
flag  was  raised.  At  6:30  breakfast  was  eaten.  Mounted  drill  took  place 
from  7  till  9:30.  After  this  drill  the  drill  squads  returned  to  the  stables 
where  the  time  till  10:30  was  spent  in  unsaddling,  unharnessing  and  clean- 
ing equipment. 

"The  guns  were  known  as  French  75's.  The  gun  crew  proper  consisted 
of  nine  men,  but  the  helpers  raised,  the  number  to  sixteen  or  eighteen  men. 


102 WKTHEKSFIKL.D     SKETCHES 

Each  gun  was  hauled  by  three  span  of  horses,  hitched  two  abreast.  The 
left  hand  horse  of  each  team  was  equipped  with  a  saddle  upon  which  rode 
one  of  the  crew.  The  right  hand  horse  of  each  team  carried  a  saddle  to 
which  was  fastened  the  equipment,  consisting  of  blanket  roll  and  food  for 
men  and  horses. 

From  10:30  to  11,  a  thirty  minute  foot  drill  took  place.  The  men  were 
divided  into  squads  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  each.  After  the  foot  drills 
the  men  returned  to  the  barracks  where  they  cleaned  their  personal  equip- 
ment and  barracks  for  official  inspection,  after  which  dinner  was  served 
at  12  o'clock  in  the  mess  room  of  the  barracks. 

From  1  to  2  P.  M.,  standing  gun  drill  was  held.  This  finished  the  hard 
part  of  the  day's  work.  Guard  duty  extended  till  six  o'clock.  As  each 
battery  took  part  in  guard  duty,  and  there  were  a  large  number  of  batteries, 
the  task  was  not  very  arduous.  Supper  was  served  at  5  o'clock.  The  flag 
was  lowered  at  sunset  while  the  whole  camp  stood  "retreat."  Soldiers  had 
their  evenings  to  do  with  as  they  pleased. 

The   Bull    Fight 

A  bull  fight  in  Old  Mexico  is  made  a  holiday.  Not  only  all  the  people 
of  the  town  attend,  but  crowds  of  people  from  the  surrounding  country  and 
towns  flock  to  the  arena  on  the  day  of  the  fight. 

The  bull  fight  is  preceded  by  calf  throwing  and  rodeo  riding.  These 
sports  take  up  the  day  till  the  middle  of  the  afternoon.  Rodeo  riding  con- 
sists of  racing  and  the  riding  of  bucking  horses,  resembling  very  much  Buf- 
falo Bill's  Wild  West  Shows. 

One  matador  and  eight  helpers,  part  of  whom  were  on  horseback  were 
in  the  arena  when  the  bull  was  let  in  from  the  side  door.  The  helpers, 
both  foot  and  horseback,  were  equipped  with  darts.  These  darts  were  about 
two  feet  long  and  one  end  was  provided  with  a  sharp  point.  To  the  other 
end  of  the  dart  was  fastened  several  cloth  streamers  of  bright  colors. 

The  helpers  threw  darts  at  the  bull.  The  sharp  darts  sticking  in  his 
body  and  the  bright  colored  cloths  switching  against  his  sides  and  into  his 
eyes,  goaded  the  bull  to  madness,  but  with  so  many  tormenters  he  knew 
not  which  to  advance  upon.  The  helpers  suddenly  swept  aside  and  before 
the  maddened  bull  stood  the  matador. 

The  matador  held  outstretched  in  his  hands  a  bright  red  blanket  about 
four  feet  square.  By  his  side  hung  a  short  sword.  A  roar  rose  from  the 
crowd  as  the  bull  charged.  The  matador  leaped  aside  and  as  the  bull  passed, 
slapped  him  on  the  flank  with  his  sword.  The  bull,  now  in  a  frenzy,  turned 
quickly  and  made  for  the  red  cloth. 

This  time  his  horn  struck  the  matador  who  was  thrown  to  the  ground. 
Shouts  and  hurrahs  for  the  bull  rose  from  the  crowd  of  people  in  the  amphi- 
theater. The  matador,  however,  was  upon  his  feet  again,  and  as  the  bull 
made  another  rush  he  sidestepped,  and  as  the  bull  rushed  past,  the  matador 
sprang  lightly  upon  his  back,  raised  his  red  banner  to  the  crowd's  applause, 
and  slid  to  the  ground  ready  for  the  bull's  mad  rush  again. 

The  fight  continued.  The  bellowing  bull  mad  from  the  pain  of  the 
darts  and  spurred  on  by  the  taunting  red  banner,  made  rush  after  rush  at 
the  matador.  Finally  as  the  bull  passed,  the  matador  threw  the  blanket 
in  the  face  of  the  bull  and  drew  it  by  one  end  across  his  staring 
eyes.  The  bull  came  to  his  knees  and  rolled  in  the  dust  of  the  arena, 
while  shout  after  shout  rose  for  the  matador.  The  bull  staggered  to  his 
feet  and  returned  to  the  attack  . 

Meanwhile  the  matador  had  drawn  his  sword,  and  this  time  side- 
stepping just  enough  to  let  the  bull  pass,  he  thrust  with  his  sword,  striking 
the  bull  just  back  of  his  shoulder  and  piercing  his  heart.    The  victor  saluted 


WKTHKKSF1KL.P     SKKTCH  KS 103 

the  hurrahing  multitudes,  the  slaughtered  bull  was  dragged  from  the  arena 
and  the  light  was  done. 

William  S.  Roper  b.  May  15,  1895 

Radiation  Work  at  Wal.  Kewanee,  111. 

William  S.  Roper  was  inducted  at  Cambridge,  111.,  on  July  10,  1918.  He 
was  sent  to  Camp  Grant  where  he  stayed  two'  months.  He  was  sent  to 
Camp  Mills  from  Camp  Grant  on  Sept.  7,  1918.  He  went  by  transport  to 
Liverpool,  Eng.,  thence  to  LaHarve,  France. 

While  in  camp  near  LaHarve  he  was  taken  sick  and  remained  in  hos- 
pital several  months.  On  Feb.  12,  1919,  he  sailed  from  Brest,  France, 
for  home.  His  ship  landed  at  Hoboken,  N.  J.  He  remained  here  two  weeks 
in  hospital  then  was  sent  to  a  hospital  in  Chicago  from  which  he  w&s  dis- 
charged Feb.  28,  1919. 

He  was  in  Co.  K.,  344th  Inf.,  till  Oct.  11,  1918.  He  was  then  trans- 
ferred to  Repl.  Co.,  148th  Inf. 

Frank  E.  Roper  b.  June  16,  1893 

Meat  Cutter  112  South  Grace  Avenue,  Kewanee,  111. 

Enlisted  March  11,  1918,  in  the  Coast  Artillery.  While  in  the  Coast 
Artillery  he  was  in  the  Commissary  Department  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Mo. 
From  Jefferson  Barracks  he  was  sent  to  Ft.  Moultrie,  then  to  Ft.  Mon- 
roe, Va. 

At  Ft.  Monroe  he  entered  the  Enlisted  Specialist  School.  While  here 
he  acted  as  instructor  in  the  motor  transportation  department.  After  the 
Armistice  was  signed  he  went  to  Camp  Grant,  where  he  was  discharged 
Jan.  19,  1919. 

While  at  Ft.  Monroe,  Mr.  Roper  was  one  of  122  men  sent  to  Camp 
Halibird,  about  twelve  miles  from  Baltimore,  Md.,  for  104  trucks — 64  Dodge 
and  40  Kelly-Springfield  trucks.  They  left  Camp  Halibird  Dec.  19,  1918, 
and  arrived  at  Ft.  Monroe,  Dec.  27. 

The  distance  was  226  miles.     The  expense  of  the  trip  was  as  follows: 

10,0923,4  gallons  gasoline,  costing  $     2,738.00 

565  gallon  oil,  costing 335.00 

Rations,  costing  3,500.58 

Total  expense  about 10,851.00 

Value  of  material  handled 550,038.00 

The  roads  were  so  bad  that  the  trucks  made  only  3  9-10  miles  one  day. 
At  Ft.  Monroe  the  trucks  were  cleaned  and  made  ready  for  overseas  work. 

Ague  L.  Bergquist  b.  Dec.  7,  1894 

He  was  in  Co.  K.,  of  Kewanee,  111.,  when  the  war  with  Germany  was 
declared  in  1917.  He  left  the  U.  S.  May  27,  1918,  and  arrived  in  the  U.  S. 
May  24,  1919,  after  serving  in  France  about  a  year.  He  served  in  Company 
I.,  6th  111.  Inf.,  N.  G.,  from  June  30,  1917,  till  Sept.  19,  1917,  then  in  Battery 
A.,  123rd  F.  A.,  Sept.  20,  1917,  till  the  date  of  his  discharge. 

War  record  in  France. 

St.  Mihiel  offensive  Sept.  12,  till  Sept,  16,  1918. 

Meuse  Argonne- offensive  Sept.  26  till  Oct.  11,  1918.  In  the  Army  of 
Occupation,  Jan.  1,  1919  till  April  12,  1919. 

He  was  discharged  June  7,  1919. 

He  was  drowned  in  the  Fox  River  at  Aurora,  111.,  July  4,  1920.  H^  is 
buried  in  Pleasant  View  Cemetery,  Kewanee,  111. 


104 WETHERSEIELP     SKETCHES 

Raymond  L.  Bergquist  b.  Dec.  8,  1898 

Boiler  Maker  at  Kewanee  Boiler  Co.  Kewanee,  111. 

He  enlisted  Feb.  28,  1918,  in  Headquarters  Co.,  46th  C.  A.  C.  He  was 
with  the  A.  E.  F.  in  France  from  Oct.  14,  1918,  to  Feb.  11,  1919. 

He  enlisted  at  Davenport,  la.,  and  went  to  Jefferson  Barracks,  St.  Louis, 
Mo.  He  went  from  Jefferson  Barracks  to  Fort  Dade,  Fla.,  thence  to  Camp 
Eustis,  Va.  From  this  place  he  went  by  train  to  Newport  News,  where  he 
boarded  the  ship,  Frederick  the  Great,  a  captured  German  boat,  whose 
name  had  been  changed  to  the  U.  S.  S.  Huron. 

He  landed  in  Brest,  France,  Oct.  14,  1918.  In  the  fleet  going  over,  there 
were  seven  convoys,  two  battleships  and  six  destroyers.  He  stayed  at 
Brest  a  week,  here  occupying  for  a  part  of  the  time  the  Pontanzen 
Barracks,  once  occupied  by  Napoleon  and  his  army.  The  next  move  was 
to  Bordeaux,  thence  to  Branne  where  he  was  stationed  when  the  Armistice 
was  signed. 

He  sailed  from  Marseilles,  France,  by  the  way  of  Gibraltar  and  reached 
New  York  Feb.  11,  1919.  He  was  stationed  at  Camp  Dix,  N.  J.,  for  a  month, 
then  sent  to  Camp  Grant,  where  he  was  discharged  April  14,  1919. 

Roy  L.  Bergquist  b.  August  19,  1897 

Boiler  Maker  Helper  Kewanee,  111. 

Roy  L.  Bergquist  enlisted  April  22,  1917,  at  Chicago  in  Co.  M.,  86th  Div. 
He  spent  the  time  till  discharged  on  Feb.  14,  1919,  at  Nogales,  Arizona. 

He  re-enlisted  in  June,  1919,  this  time  in  Headquarters  and  Service  Co., 
6th  Engineers.  From  Jefferson  Barracks  he  was  sent  to  San  Francisco, 
Calif.  From  this  place  he  was  sent  to  Siberia  where  his  ship  was  sta- 
tioned from  August  19,  1919,  till  Feb.  15,  1920.  He  was  discharged  June 
8,  1922. 

Ralph  P.  Blair  b.  Oct.  4,  1895 

Kewanee,  111. 

He  was  inducted  into  the  2nd  Riving  Casualty  Co.,  on  March  2,  1918. 
He  was  stationed  for  about  two  months  at  Vancouver  Barracks,  State  of 
Washington,  then  was  sent  to  Aberdeen  in  the  same  state. 

The  work  of  his  company  was  to  get  out  spruce  lumber  for  aeroplanes. 
A  railroad  was  built  twelve  miles  back  into  the  forest.  The  road  was  used 
in  hauling  spruce  logs,  some  of  which  were  six  feet  in  diameter,  to  the 
saw  mills. 

There  was  considerable  game  in  that  locality.  Trout  abounded  in  the 
streams  and  salmon  could  be  caught  in  the  inlets.  On  a  hunting  trip  Mr. 
Blair  bagged  a  black  bear.  From  Vancouver  Barracks  Mr.  Blair  was  sent 
to  Camp  Grant  where  he  was  discharged  Feb.  9,  1919. 

Ernest  F.  F.  Rosenow  b.  Feb.  27,  1896 

Machine  Operator  at  Walworth's         715  Wilbur  St.  Kewanee,  111. 

He  entered  the  army  Oct.  1,  1918.  He  was  stationed  at  Jefferson  Bar- 
racks about  fourteen  days,  then  was  sent  to  Camp  MacArthur  at  Waco, 
Texas.  He  remained  at  this  place  in  regular  army  training  till  after  the 
Armistice  was  signed.  He  was  discharged  from  Co.  G.,  4th  Battalion  at 
Camp  Grant  on  Jan.  13,  1919. 


WKTHKRSFIKL,n     SKETCHES 105 

Dean  C.  Fulper  b.  March  7,  1892 

Farmer  No.  2,  Galva,  111. 

Dean  C.  Fulper  entered  the  World  War  on  June  26,  1918,  as  a  member 
of  19th  Co.,  161st  D.  B.  At  Camp  Grant  on  July  16  he  was  transferred  to 
Co.  D.,  342nd  Inf.,  86th  Div. 

He  sailed  for  Europe  on  Sept.  9,  and  landed  at  Liverpool,  Eng.  From 
Liverpool  he  was  sent  to  a  small  town  near  Bordeaux.  Here  his  company 
was  broken  up  and  used  for  replacements.  On  Oct.  26,  1918,  he  was  as- 
signed to  Co.  F.,  318th  Inf.,  80th  Div.,  in  the  Argonne  sector,  and  served 
at  the  front  from  Nov.  1,  till  Nov.  7. 

After  the  Armistice  was  signed  he  was  stationed  for  the  winter  at 
Stigny,  near  Oncy-le-Franc.  While  here  he  won  his  "Marksman  Pin"  for 
good  shooting.  He  sailed  for  home  in  May,  landing  at  Newport  News 
May  27,  1919.  His  regiment  paraded  in  the  streets  of  Richmond  on  Deco- 
ration Day.  He  was  sent  to  Camp  Lee,  Va.,  thence  to  Camp  Grant  where 
he  was  discharged  June  10,  1919. 

Mr.  Fulper  tells  the  following  interesting  story  of — Keeping  Up  With 
The  Boches: 

"I  was  probably  the  only  man  from  Wethersfield  township  to  serve  in 
the  80th  Division.  When  I  was  assigned  to  Co.  F.  of  the  318th  Inf.,  it 
had  just  returned  from  the  "lines"  on  the  Argonne  where,  in  battle,  it 
had  seventy-eight  casualties,  including  its  captain,  who  was  killed. 

A  few  days  were  spent  in  getting  re-equipped  for  the  front.  On  Oct. 
31  we  rolled  our  packs  before  daylight  and  at  9  o'clock  started  for  the 
front  while  the  regimental  band  played  "Dixie."  This  tune  was  appropriate, 
as  most  of  the  boys  were  from  Virginia. 

At  9  o'clock  that  night  we  stopped  just  at  the  rear  of  the  artillery. 
After  eating  our  iron  rations  for  supper  we  lay  down  on  our  blankets  and 
pulled  our  shelter  halves  over  us  to  keep  off  a  sprinkle  of  rain  that  was 
falling. 

All  night  the  "boches"  bombed  a  railroad  bridge  about  eighty  rods  from 
camp.  The  next  afternoon  towards  evening  we  slung  our  packs  and  moved 
up  about  eight  kilos,  stopping  in  front  of  the  artillery,  where  we  stayed 
till  noon  of  the  next  day. 

This  day,  Saturday,  at  noon,  we  got  orders  to  move  up.  We  moved 
forward  about  a  mile,  pitched  our  tents,  but  immediately  tore  them  down 
and  moved  up  again  over  roads  up  to  our  ankles  in  mud. 

We  passed  dead  men  here  and  there,  a  smashed  aeroplane  and  dead 
horses.  Equipment  lay  scattered  everywhere.  Transports  blocked  the  roads 
for  miles,  but  still  we  moved  on.  As  darkness  came  on,  making  it  more 
difficult  to  "tote"  our  heavy  packs  in  the  mud,  the  men  began  to  fall  out. 

As  we  marched  on,  travelling  became  worse  and  worse  till  we  began 
to  think  if  the  Battle  of  Chattanooga  was  any  worse  than  this  one  night's 
hike,  General  Sherman  didn't  know  very  many  "swear"  words.  Some  time 
after  midnight  we  stopped  and  made  bunks  on  the  ground. 

A  few  shells  came  over  during  the  night,  one  falling  on  a  building 
where  some  of  our  battalion  were  sleeping,  killing  one  and  injuring  two. 
To  make  matters  worse  I  had  to  go  on  gas  guard  at  4  A.  M.  At  roll  call 
that  morning  only  nine  men  of  forty-six  in  our  platoon  reported,  the  rest 
having  fallen  out  along  the  road  the  night  before. 

The  next  day  (Sunday)  we  moved  up  about  two  miles  and  started  to 
dig  bivouacs,  but  before  we  had  finished  we  were  ordered  to  move  up  on 
a  hill  which  lay  before  us  and  dig  in.  We  had  just  got  nicely  started 
when  Major  Wise  gave  orders  to  prepare  to  move  up  in  an  hour. 

We  moved  up  a   couple  of  kilos  and  dug  in  the  third  time.     We  had 


106 WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 

orders  not  to  unroll  our  packs.  I  slept  until  I  could  stand  the  cold  no 
longer,  then  got  out  my  blankets,  but  had  them  rolled  in  my  pack  in  time 
to  tall  in. 

On  Wednesday,  Nov.  6,  we  were  in  support  of  Co.  "E."  The  "Huns" 
were  on  the  run  and  it  made  us  go  some  to  keep  up.  At  9  A.  M.  we 
stopped  long  enough  to  eat  some  "bully  beef"  and  hard  tack.  By  noon  we 
had  lost  Co.  E.,  but  found  it  later. 

At  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  saw  a  shell  fall  in  the  midst  of 
a  platoon  of  Co.  E.,  killing  two  and  wounding  three.  The  shells  were  now 
coming  so  fast  that  we  hunted  holes  and  stayed  in  them  till  the  shelling 
stopped. 

After  the  shelling  ceased  we  passed  through  a  small  village  and  joined 
Co.  E.  But  here  the  machine  gun  bullets  made  things  so  lively  that  we 
found  it  best  not  to  advance  farther.  An  aeroplane  showed  us  that  the  "pill 
box"  was  located  just  beyond  the  crest  of  a  hill,  so  that  the  bullets  were 
going  over  our  heads.  As  we  had  already  gone  four  kilometers  beyond  our 
objective  point  we  were  ordered  not  to  make  an  attack. 

That  night  we  fell  back  a  short  distance  near  a  woods  and  "dug  in."  I 
threw  some  grass  in  the  hole,  lay  down  and  went  to  sleep.  About  midnight 
a  drizzle  which  had  started  before  dark,  developed  into  rain.  In  the  night, 
my  bedmate,  Pat  O'Mally,  woke  me  up.  I  found  I  had  been  wallowing  in 
about  two  inches  of  water.     I  dozed  on  my  pack  till  morning. 

While  at  this  place  the  cooks  sent  our  supper  up  to  us,  but  the  Major 
was  hungry,  too,  so  he  took  a  good  share  of  our  suppers  for  the  B.  H.  A., 
consequently  we  were  short.  When  our  company  commander  asked  him  for 
an  explanation  the  old  major  transferred  him  to  "G-"  Co. 

We  were  now  relieved  and  moved  back.  All  along  the  way  the  artillery 
was  trying  to  catch  up.  We  got  our  breakfast  and  dinner  about  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  We  camped  and  rested  one  day,  then  started  in 
pursuit  again. 

On  the  day  that  Armistice  was  signed  we  were  still  wading  through 
the  mud.  We  had  not  washed  our  hands  and  laces  for  two  days.  Our  over- 
coats and  equipment  were  covered  with  mud.  When  the  bugle  called  for 
rest  we  sat  down  where  we  were  regardless  of  mud  and  water.  I  had 
always  heard  that  cleanliness  was  next  to  Godliness,  but  here  it  was  next 
to  impossible. 

We  passed  some  French  soldiers  who  were  capering  joyously  and  shout- 
ing, 'The  war  is  finished.'  One  doughboy,  speaking  from  the  heart  and 
voicing  the  sentiments  of  all,  replied,  'Well,  for  the  Law'd  sake,  don't  start 
another  one  unless  you  can  finish  it  yourselves.' 

That  night  upon  arrival  in  camp  we  found  large  quantities  of  fireworks, 
in  the  way  of  artillery  T.  N.  T.,  with  which  we  kindled  fires.  The  heavens 
were  lighted  in  all  directions  by  every  conceivable  kind  of  military  fire- 
works. This  was  the  first  night  since  our  arrival  in  France  that  no  danger 
was  attached  to  a  display  of  light  and  the  only  one  that  we  did  not  have 
to  reckon  with  the  possibility  of  a  hostile  aerial  visitor." 

Cecil  G.  Stinson  b.  Jan.  8,  1896 

Battery  Repairer  Kewanee,  111. 

Cecil  G.  Stinson  entered  the  World  War  Sept.  5,  1918,  becoming  a  mem- 
ber of  Co.  B.,  127th  Engineers.  He  was  first  stationed  at  Camp  Forest, 
Ga.  On  Oct.  18,  he  was  sent  to  Camp  Mills  at  Newport  News  where  he 
remained  four  days. 

On  Oct.  22,  he  started  for  France.  There  were  fourteen  vessels  in  the 
convoy,  including  war  vessels  and  subchasers.     The  usual  positions  of  the 


AVETHERSFIEED     SKETCHES  10 < 


war  vessels  were  one  at  the  right,  left  and  rear  of  the  transports.  The 
subchasers  were  on  the  lookout  in  the  waters  around  the  whole  fleet. 

Two  severe  storms  were  encountered  on  the  passage.  As  the  waves 
passed  over  the  decks  of  the  subchasers  during  these  storms  they,  looked 
like  small  sticks  floating  in  the  air.  During  the  passage  the  men  slept  in 
full  dress  and  with  life  preservers  on.  Drills  for  submarine  emergency  and 
in  taking  to  the  boats  were  practiced  morning  and  evening  of  each  day. 

Mr.  Stinson  landed  at  Saint  Nazairre  on  Nov.  3,  1918.  He  was  on  his 
way  to  the  front  when  the  war  ceased.  He  was  then  sent  back  to  Bordeaux 
where  his  company,  consisting  of  electricians,  had  charge  of  the  electric 
work  on  the  docks  of  Bordeaux  and  vicinity. 

Given  a  leave  of  absence,  he  visited  Paris,  Rheims,  Chateau  Thierry, 
Soissons  and  other  battlefields.  This  visit  was  made  six  months  after  fight- 
ing had  ceased  yet  the  bodies  of  German  soldiers  were  still  lying  where 
they  fell,  and  French  soldiers  were  yet  searching  for  the  bodies  of  their 
fallen  comrades  on  the  battlefields. 

Mr.  Stinson  started  for  home  on  June  30,  1919.  July  Fourth  was  spent 
on  the  TJ.  S.  S.  Huron,  at  sea.  He  landed  at  Newport  News  and  was  sent  from 
that  place  to  Camp  Grant  where  he  was  discharged  July  22,  1919. 

Laverne  C.  Schmidt  b.  Oct.  14,  1904 

In  Drafting  Dept.  of  Walworth  Co.  438  Willard  St.,  Kewanee,  111. 

Enlisted  Nov  .24,  1920.  Great  Lakes  and  Newport,  R.  I.  Naval  Stations. 
Co.  55,  Reg.  16.     Discharged  Feb.  2,  1921. 

William  G.  Fuller  b.  May  19,  1891 

Sec.  Addressograph  Co.  2650  Reese  Ave.,  Evanston,  111. 

In  May,  1918,  William  G.  Fuller  enlisted  in  the  navy  for  lour  years.  He 
was  called  to  service  on  August  19,  1918,  and  was  stationed  at  the  Municipal 
Pier  in  Chicago.  He  was  next  sent  to  the  Great  Lakes  Naval  Training  Sta- 
tion where  he  remained  till  he  entered  into  active  work  on  the  Great  Lakes. 
The  ship  upon  which  he  was  stationed  was  the  Cleveland,  plying  between 
Duluth  and  Buffalo,  the  round  trip  taking  one  week.  Had  not  the  Armistice 
been  signed  on  Nov.  11,  he  would  soon  have  been  sent  to  New  York  to  com- 
plete his  training.  He  was  released  from  service  in  February,  1919,  subject 
to  recall  at  any  time  till  his  enlistment  expired. 

Alva  C.  Peterson  b.  July  27,  18.88 

Farmer  No.  3,  Toulon,  111. 

Alva  Clinton  Peterson  entered  the  World  War  as  a  member  of  Battery 
D.,  333d  H.  F.  A.,  86th  Div.,  on  July  10,  1918.  He  was  first  stationed  at 
Camp  Grant,  Rockford,  111.  In  two  weeks  he  was  sent  to  Camp  Robinson, 
Sparta,  Wis.  On  Sept.  4,  he  left  this  place  and  arrived  at  Camp  Mills,  Va., 
Sept.  7. 

On  the  morning  of  Sept.  17,  two  tugs  started  the  transport  upon  which 
he  was  on,  out  to  sea.  Early  on  the  morning  of  Sept.  28,  the  coast  of  Ireland 
was  sighted.     On  Sept  29  the  ship  docked  at  Glasgow,  Scotland. 

Mr.  Peterson  was  much  interested  in  the  scenery  along  the  Clyde  River 
and  in  the  great  ship  building  yards  at  Glasgow.  Another  thing  noted  by 
him  was  that  wagon  roads  and  railroads  in  Scotland  do  not  cross  each  other 
at  the  same  level,  thus  decreasing  danger  from  accidents. 

From  Glasgow  the  journey  to  Ramsey,  England,  was  made  by  rail, 
thence  on  foot  to  Southampton.  The  English  Channel  was  crossed  to  Cher- 
bourg, France,  on  the  transport,  St.  George.     From  Cherbourg  he  was  sent 


108 WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 

by  rail  to  Camp  Hunt,  Arcachon,  France,  arriving  there  Oct.  6.  On  Dec.  25 
he  sailed  from  Bordeaux  for  home,  arriving  at  Newport  News,  Jan.  3,  1919. 
He  was  discharged  at  Camp  Grant  Jan.  19,  1919. 

Mr.  Peterson  describes  an  alarm  given  by  one  of  the  boats  on  the  pass- 
age as  follows:  "One  of  the  boats  fired  a  shot.  Soon  another  shot  was 
fired,  then  there  was  one  whistle  given.  All  boats  headed  towards  the 
signalling  vessel.  The  subchasers  darted  toward  it  and  were  gone  some 
time  ,  then  came  back  and  on  we  went." 

Armand  W.  Berg  b.  Nov.  4,  1887 

Kewanee,  111. 

Corporal  Armand  W.  Berg  was  drawn  in  draft  in  September,  1917,  and 
notified  to  be  ready  to  report  on  a  twenty-four  hour  notice,  but  getting  tired 
of  waiting  for  a  call,  he  enlisted  in  the  Coast  Artillery  branch  in  March, 
1918.  He  reported  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Mo.,  and  was  sworn  in  March  13, 
1918. 

Mr.  Berg  said,  "After  being  examined  and  measured  for  clothes,  I  was 
assigned  to  16th  Recruit  Co.  On  Saturday,  March  16,  I  was  on  the  wrong 
end  of  the  line,  so  I  drew  K.  P.  duty  for  Saturday  supper  and  all  day  Sunday, 
St.  Patrick's  day,  which  was  a  beautiful  day.  I  also  had  this  "pleasant" 
job  for  two  meals  Monday.  Wouldn't  dare  to  write  my  thoughts  at  this 
time." 

On  March  22,  he  was  sent  to  Fort  Moultrie,  Va.,  with  about  five  hundred 
others,  arriving  there  about  midnight  of  the  24th.  The  next  day  he  was 
assigned  to  recruit  Co.  D.  and  placed  under  quarantine.  April  17,  he  was 
transferred  to  1st  Co.,  C.  A.  C,  of  Fort  Moultrie,  where  he  says,  "We  had 
slum  and  hash  most  of  the  time  for  eats." 

On  June  24,  the  75th  R.  A.  R.  was  organized,  and  he  was  transferred 
to  the  Supply  Co.  of  this  organization,  later  to  the  1st  Battalion  Head- 
quarters Co.  On  July  13,  he  was  attached  to  the  personnel  office  of  the  75th. 
On  Sept.  25  he  left  Fort  Moultrie  for  Camp  Merritt,  N.  J.  Here  he  was 
equipped  for  overseas.  The  officers  had  promised  the  men  a  day  off  to  see 
New  York  City,  but  the  "flu"  breaking  out  among  the  men,  they  were  put 
in  quarantine  and  did  not  get  a  chance  to  see  the  city. 

On  Oct.  4,  he  hiked  to  Hoboken  where  the  troops  were  loaded  on  the 
transport,  Sibboney.  The  transport  pulled  away  from  the  docks  at  11:30 
P.  M.,  and  anchored  till  daybreak,  when  it  started  on  the  way.  On  the  way 
over  there  were  forty  deaths  from  the  "flu." 

He  arrived  at  Brest,  France,  Oct.  15,  debarked  the  next  morning  and 
hiked  six  miles  to  camp.  On  Oct.  29,  he  left  for  Giebres,  France,  arriving 
there  Oct.  31.     He  was  at  this  place  when  the  Armistice  was  signed. 

He  left  Giebres  Dec.  3,  supposedly  for  home,  but  after  staying  about 
ten  days  at  Camp  No.  1,  St.  Nazairre,  he  was  moved  to  the  docks  where  he 
did  guard  duty  till  Jan.  20,  1919.  He  was  then  moved  to  Camp  Montoir 
where  he  stayed  till  Feb.  23,  helping  to  repair  roads,  etc.  On  Feb.  23,  he 
was  moved  to  Camp  No.  2,  preparatory  to  going  home. 

On  Feb.  27,  1919,  he  left  St.  Nazairre  on  board  the  transport,  Aeolus,  for 
home.  He  arrived  at  the  Azore  Islands  March  3.  The  transport  anchored  in 
the  Bay  of  Fayal  Island  of  this  group  till  March  5.  He  arrived  at  New- 
port News,  Va.,  March  13,  stayed  at  Camp  Stuart  till  March  21,  then  was 
sent  to  Camp  Grant,  where  he  received  his  discharge  March  31,  1919. 

Dewey  H.  Pierce  b.  June  23,  1898 

Gas  Fitter  319  West  Division  Street,  Kewanee,  111. 

Dewey  H.  Pierce  enlisted  on  May  31,  1918,  as  seaman  in  the  U.  S.  Navy 
He  was  at  the  Great  Lakes  Training  Camp  for  twenty-seven  days.     He  also 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 109 

spent  some  time  at  Camps  Decatur,  Dewey  and  Ross.  About  June  27,  he 
was  sent  to  Detroit,  Mich.  Here  he  was  transferred  to  the  Aviation  Naval 
Station  of  the  Packard  Motor  Co. 

His  training  on  shipboard  was  made  on  the  U.  S.  S.  training  ship,  Wol- 
verine. He  was  relieved  from  active  duty  Feb.  8,  1919,  but  remained  in  the 
Naval  Reserve  Force  till  Sept.  30,  1921,  when  he  was  discharged. 

Charles  F.  Brose  b.  Oct.  22,  1888 

Insp.  of  Castings  at  Walworth's  247  W.  Garfield  St.,  Kewanee,  111. 

Charles  F.  Brose  entered  the  World  War  on  May  10,  1918.  He  went 
from  Cambridge,  Illinois  to  Jefferson  Barracks,  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.  In  a  few 
days  he  was  sent  to  Camp  MacArthur,  Waco,  Texas,  where  he  remained  from 
May  15  till  July  25.  From  Camp  MacArthur  he  was  sent  to  Camp  Merritt, 
from  which  place  he  sailed  on  Aug.  4th  on  the  ship  Leviathan  for  France. 

He  landed  at  Brest,  France,  Aug.  11,  1918.  He  was  stationed  at  a  rest 
camp  about  six  miles  from  Brest  for  one  and  a  half  weeks.  From  this  camp 
with  Company  G-.,  56th  Infantry,  he  took  train  to  Nice,  arriving  there  about 
the  15th  of  August,  1918. 

He  stayed  at  Nice  till  Sept.  26,  then  was  sent  to  a  French  barracks 
where  he  stayed  for  ten  days.  From  these  barracks  his  company  was  sent 
into  a  dense  woods  where  they  remained  three  days.  On  Oct.  16,  they  were 
sent  into  the  second  lines  trenches  on  the  Hinderberg  line  between  St. 
Mihiel  and  Metz  on  the  Toul  sector. 

After  seven  days  his  company  was  sent  into  the  first  line  trenches  where 
they  remained  for  three  days.  The  company  was  then  sent  back  for  rein- 
forcements. On  Oct.  28,  the  company  went  back  to  the  first  line  trenches 
with  230  men. 

His  company  was  in  the  first  line  trenches  from  Oct.  28,  till  Nov.  3,  1918. 
On  Nov.  1,  1918,  the  boys  went  over  the  top  into  No  Man's  Land,  here  a 
level  stretch  of  country  between  two  woods.  The  great  drive  that  was  to 
end  German  militarism  was  on  all  along  the  line. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  attack  the  lines  of  the  opposing  armies  were 
about  a  mile  apart.  The  enemy's  fire  was  so  severe  that  word  was  tele- 
phoned back  for  the  heavy  artillery  to  shell  the  German  position.  This 
was  done  over  the  heads  of  the  advancing  troops. 

A  companion  of  Mr.  Brose  was  wounded  just  below  the  temple  with  a 
piece  of  shrapnel.  Mr.  Brose  bound  up  the  wound  and  left  the  wounded 
man  lying  in  the  trenches. 

The  German  batteries  were  silenced  by  the  heavy  artillery  of  the 
Americans.  The  American  troops  pushed  forward  over  the  shell-tom  field 
to  within  a  half  mile  of  the  enemy's  lines.  Here  they  dug  themselves  in 
and  held  the  ground  they  had  gained. 

On  Nov.  3,  Mr.  Brose's  company  was  relieved  and  sent  back  into  the 
second  line  trenches.  In  this  drive  eleven  men  had  been  killed  and  ninety- 
wounded  out  of  the  company  of  230  men,  and  of  the  remainder  only  ninety- 
three  men  were  able  to  take  position  in  the  second  line  trenches  on  Nov. 
4,  1918. 

A  few  days  after  being  returned  to  the  second  line  trenches  Mr.  Brose 
and  his  company  were  sent  still  farther  back.  They  were  here  when  the 
Armistice  was  declared.  In  a  short  time  he  was  sent  to  Autreville,  eighteen 
miles  from  Toul.  While  here  he  got  a  seven  day  furlough  which  was  spent 
at  Aix  'les  'Baines.  After  returning  to  Autreville  he  was  taken  sick  Jan.  12, 
1919,  and  was  in  the  hospital  two  weeks. 


110 WETHERSF1ELD     SKETCHES 

Edward  W.  Lempke  b.  Nov.  12,  1895 

Farmer  No.  4,  Kewanee,  111. 

Edward  W.  Lempke  entered  the  war  June  26,  1918,  becoming  a  member 
of  the  341st  Machine  Gun  Co.,  86th  Division.  He  was  stationed  at  the  fol- 
lowing places:  Camp  Grant,  Camp  Upton,  Southampton,  LaHarve,  St. 
Andre,  St.  Romaine,  Cadillac,  La  Mons  and  Bordeaux.  He  was  discharged 
April  11,  1919. 

Mr.  Lempke  describes  the  flu  epidemic  in  his  company  as  follows:  "Soon 
after  we  landed  in  France  there  was  an  epidemic  of  influenza  in 
our  company.  As  fast  as  the  boys  were  taken  sick  they  were  placed  in  the 
infirmary.  This  soon  became  so  crowded  that  those  who  were  the  most 
seriously  ill  were  moved  to  another  town  nine  miles  away.  The  conveyances 
were  open  trucks;  the  boys,  scantily  clad  and  wrapped  in  a  blanket,  were 
placed  in  the  bottom  of  the  truck  with  not  even  a  pillow  under  their  heads 
to  help  absorb  the  bumps  caused  by  riding  over  the  cobblestone  pavements. 

Arriving  at  the  town,  some  of  us  were  placed  in  a  French  house  that 
had  been  hastily  converted  into  a  hospital.  This  building  was  soon  filled 
to  overflowing  and  the  rest  of  us  were  put  into  a  shed  which  was  about 
as  airtight  as  a  corncrib. 

We  had  no  regular  nurses  but  were  taken  care  of  by  boys  who  had  not 
yet  contracted  the  flu.  We  were  offered  excellent  food,  but  unfortunately 
we  were  too  sick  to  enjoy  it.  Several  times  each  day  we  heard  the  band 
play  and  we  knew  that  some  of  our  comrades  were  being  laid  to  rest  with 
military  honors. 

When  we  had  nearly  recovered,  we  were  moved  into  a  tent  which  had 
been  erected  in  front  of  the  hospital.  After  remaining  here  several  days 
we  were  considered  fit  to  rejoin  our  company." 

Arthur  E.  Johnson 

Arthur  E.  Johnson  enlisted  May  31,  1918  in  the  15th  Anti-Aircraft  Bat- 
tery. He  was  sent  to  Jefferson  Barracks,  Mo.,  where  he  stayed  one  month. 
He  next  was  sent  to  Ft.  McKinley  on  an  island  off  the  coast  of  Maine.  He 
was  located  there  four  weeks. 

From  Ft.  McKinley  he  was  sent  to  Camp  Eustis,  Va.  The  tents  were 
pitched  in  an  open  field  at  Mulberry  Island  about  eight  miles  from  Camp 
Eustis.  He  left  Mulberry  Island  in  about  a  month  and  "hiked"  to  Camp 
Hill,  Va.,  near  Fortress  Monroe,  arriving  there  Sept  24,  1918. 

In  four  days  he  was  sent  to  Newport  News  and  ferried  to  Norfolk.  On 
Oct.  7,  1918,  he  sailed  on  the  steamer,  "Susquehanna,"  for  France.  The 
Susquehanna  had  been  the  "German  Rhine."  It  had  been  confiscated  by  the 
Americans  when  war  was  declared.  There  were  seven  transports  and  one 
cruiser  in  the  fleet.  Two  days  out  from  France  the  fleet  was  met  by  an 
escort  of  nine  destroyers. 

He  landed  at  Brest,  France,  Oct.  21,  1918.  After  a  light  breakfast  the 
troops  marched  seven  miles  to  Pontanzen  Barracks,  Napoleon's  old  barracks. 
It  took  all  day  to  set  up  the  tents  and  to  get  the  supplies  to  the  camping 
place.  The  supper  consisted  of  one  spoonful  of  brown  beans,  bread  and 
coffee.  Having  had  no  dinner,  it  was  a  hungry  lot  of  boys  who  sat  down 
to  their  first  supper  in  France. 

From  Pontanzen  Barracks  he  went  to  Garges  on  the  outskirts  of  Paris. 
Here  he  was  stationed  in  an  old  mill.  He  was  stationed  here  till  the  11th 
of  November,  1918,  when  the  Armistice  was  signed.  On  Dec.  5,  1918,  he 
otarted  for  Brest,  France,  and  arrived  there  Dec  .7. 

Dec.  31,  1918,  he  left  for  home  on  the  English  ship,  "Ulna."  He  landed 
at  New  York  Jan.  10,  1919.     He  was  sent  to  Camp  Merritt,  N.  J.,  thence 


WETHERSFIELP     SKETCHES 111 

to  Ft.  Wadsworth  on  Staten  Island,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  till  Jan.  31, 
1919.  From  Fort  Wadsworth  he  was  sent  to  Camp  Grant,  111.,  where  he  was 
discharged  Feb.  13,  1919. 

Robert  M.  Turner  b.  August  3,  1895 

Draftsman  Kewanee,  111. 

Mr.  Turner  tells  in  his  own  words  of  his  work  in  the  army: 

"I  entered  the  service  June  15,  1918,  through  the  local  draft  board,  going 
to  the  Bradley  Training  Detachment  at  Bradley  Poly.  Institute  at  Peoria. 

I  wanted  to  get  into  the  motor  end  of  the  game,  but  the  branch  was 
full  up,  so  they  started  to  make  an  electrician  of  me.  I  attended  classes  in 
electricity,  drilled  and  got  broke  into  army  life  in  general.  It  was  a  fine 
place  and  we  didn't  known  we  were  in  the  army. 

They  found  out  I  was  a  draftsman,  and  at  the  end  of  the  two  months' 
training  period  sent  me  down  to  Camp  Jackson,  Columbus,  S.  C,  as  such. 
This  camp  was  the  largest  artillery  camp  in  the  country,  there  being  80,000 
men  there  at  one  time. 

I  was  placed  in  the  motor  schools,  which  was  a  small  part  of  the  camp 
where  they  trained  men  to  be  cooks,  machinists,  shoemakers,  harness  mak- 
ers, chauffeurs,  etc.,  and  from  which  they  selected  men  each  month  for 
overseas  service.  The  demand  for  draftsmen  was  poor  and  after  a  month 
of  inactivity  our  school  was  broken  up  and  I  went  into  the  gun  school  where 
I  learned  the  workings  of  our  light  field  guns. 

A  month  here  and  I  went  into  an  overseas  battery  for  the  November 
replacement.  We  were  all  set  to  start  across  when  one  day  they  told  us 
the  war  was  over. 

The  war  wasn't  over  for  me  though,  as  I  was  placed  in  the 
106th  Ordnance  Depot  Co.,  which  was  to  be  held  in  camp  for  the  purpose  of 
storing  the  artillery,  tractors,  etc. 

The  camp  in  the  bright  pine  woods  of  South  Carolina  was  a  fine  place 
to  spend  the  winter,  though  it  was  hard  to  watch  all  the  other  outfits  be 
discharged  and  leave  for  home.  They  held  us  until  the  next  spring,  I  was 
one  of  the  last  to  leave,  receiving  my  discharge  in  May,  1919." 

Joseph  Nicholson  b.  Feb.  7,  1896 

Sheet  Metal  Worker  at  Walworth's  430  N.  East  St.,  Kewanee,  111. 

Entered  the  war  June  25,  1918.  He  was  stationed  at  Camp  Grant  for 
about  six  weeks,  after  which  he  was  sent  to  Camp  Upton  on  Long  Island, 
N.  Y.  He  sailed  Sept.  6,  1918,  on  the  English  ship,  Minnekahda,  landing  at 
Liverpool,  England,  on  the  24th  of  September,  1918. 

The  Minnekahda  was  one  of  eleven  ships  carrying  troops.  She  had  on 
board  beside  the  regular  crew  4,000  men.  With  these  eleven  ships  were 
two  cruisers  and  one  torpedo  boat.  To  avoid  the  submarines  which  fre- 
quented the  more  direct  routes  to  Europe  this  fleet  of  ships  went  far  north. 

Rough  weather  was  met  off  Newfoundland  for  several  days,  during 
which  occurred  a  snowstorm.  The  men  were  crowded  so  closely  that  there 
were  no  chances  for  drills,  not  even  a  fire  drill.  Piles  of  rafts  along  the 
sides  of  the  boat  were  for  life  preservers.  These  rafts  were  5x6  feet,  hollow 
and  filled  with  air.  The  instructions  were  in  case  of  accident  to  seize  a  raft 
and  jump  into  the  water. 

From  Liverpool  he  was  sent  to  Camp  Knotty  Ash,  near  Liverpool.  Here 
he  visited  the  Lord  Derby  estate,  consisting  of  over  80,000  acres  of  land. 
There  were  over  450  deer  upon  this  estate.  The  house  or  castle  covered 
considerable  land. 


112 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


From  Knotty  Ash  he  went  to  Camp  Ramsey.  He  took  the  train  to 
Southampton  where  he  embarked  for  LaHarve,  France.  Leaving  LaHarve 
he  rode  three  days  and  four  nights  to  St.  Nazairre.  Leaving  St.  Nazairre  he 
went  to  LaBourne,  near  Bordeaux,  where  he  remained  till  the  8th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1918. 

His  next  move  was  by  train  to  the  suburbs  of  LeMans  where  he  was 
stationed  on  the  day  that  the  Armistice  was  signed.  From  the  forwarding 
camp  at  LeMans  he  was  sent  to  Parigne,  thence  to  Spay.  From  Spay  he 
was  sent  back  to  LeMans  where  he  remained  about  eight  weeks.  Here  he 
got  notice  that  he  was  to  be  sent  back  home.     He  journeyed  back  to  Brest. 


S.  S.  President  Grant 


Here  the  U.  S.  S.  President  Grant  took  him  to  Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  landing 
May  6,  1919.  He  was  at  Camp  Mills  ten  days,  then  was  sent  to  Camp  Grant 
where  he  was  discharged  May  20,  1919. 

On  the  overseas  journey,  the  fleet  of  ships  was  met  200  miles  out  from 
Liverpool  by  a  hundred  subchasers.  These  subs  were  to  protect  the  ships 
from  the  German  U-boats.  Mr.  Nicholson  says  the  subs  darted  in  and  about 
the  ships  like  a  lot  of  fish.  They  could  signal  to  the  ships  and  the  ships 
to  them  by  flags. 


Carl  F.  Kulgren 
Wood  Pattern  Maker 


b.  June  5,  1895 
240  Mosher  Avenue,  Kewanee.  III. 


Carl  F.  Kulgren  served  in  Co.  K.,  I.  N.  G.,  from  1912  to  1915;  in  the 
13th  Co.,  161st  Depot  Brigade  at  Camp  Grant  from  Sept.  6,  1918  to  Sept.  24, 
1918;  in  Co.  D.,  Group  2,  Machine  Gun  Training  Center  at  Camp  Hancock, 
Ga„  from  Sept.  24,  1918,  to  Dec.  24,  1918,  and  in  Co.  K.,  Training  Battalion 
Machine  Gun  Training  Center,  Camp  Hancock,  Ga.,  from  Dec.  24,  1918,  till 
Feb.  4,  1919. 


Noel  E.  Craig 

Noel  E.  Craig  enlisted  March  18,  1918,  in  the  Aviation  Section,  U.  S.  A. 
He  was  first  stationed  at  Waco,  Texas.  He  was  sent  from  Waco  to  Camp 
Greene,  N.  C,  thence  to  Washington,  D.  C.  At  the  time  the  Armistice  was 
declared  he  was  training  at  a  U.  S.  A.  School  of  Military  Aeronautics  at 
Ithaca,  N.  Y.     He  was  mustered  out  at  Ithaca  Nov.  25,  1918. 


WETHERSFIKL.D     SKETCHES 113 

Ernest  G.  Dustin 

Ernest  G.  Dustin  entered  the  army  June  26,  1918,  in  the  Depot  Brigade 
19.  He  was  in  Camp  Grant,  111.,  lor  eight  months,  a  part  of  which  time  he 
was  in  the  hospital.  He  was  transferred  from  the  Depot  Brigade  and  made 
sergeant  in  416th  Labor  Battalion  of  Co.  C.  He  was  discharged  Feb.  26,  1919. 

Elwyn  F.  Radford 

Elwyn  F  .  Radford  enlisted  Sept.  5,  1918,  into  Co.  K.,  to  replace  the  28th 
Division.  He  was  in  Camp  Grant,  111.,  about  three  weeks,  then  was  sent  to 
Camp  Hancock,  Augusta,  Ga.  Camp  Hancock  was  a  "tent"  camp,  there  being 
no  barracks.  It  was  one  of  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the  United  States. 
Just  before  the  28th  Division  went  overseas  there  were  95,000  men  in  this 
camp.  The  rifle  range  was  at  Camp  Johnston,  six  miles  from  Camp  Han- 
cock. 

Mr.  Radford  remained  at  Camp  Hancock  for  six  months.  While  at  this 
camp  he  was  regimental  mess  sergeant.    He  was  discharged  March  10,  1919. 

Raymond  M.  Coleman 

Raymond  M.  Coleman  enlisted  May  18,  1918,  and  was  sent  to  the  Great 
Lakes  Naval  Training  Station,  30  miles  north  of  Chicago.  He  belonged  to 
Land  Force,  First  Class— U.  S.  N.  R.  F. 

During  his  stay  there  were  from  30,000  to  50,000  men  stationed  at  the 
Great  Lakes  Station.  The  boys  were  well  fed  and  cared  for  except  for  a  few 
months  when  recruits  were  arriving  in  large  numbers.  He  was  discharged 
Jan.  27,  1919. 

Bernard  L.  Felt 

Bernard  L.  Felt  enlisted  May  28,  1918  as  electrician.  He  was  at  New- 
port News,  R.  I.,  about  two  and  one-half  months,  then  was  sent  to  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.  While  at  Providence  he  was  sent  to  Philadelphia  to  study  oil 
burning,  after  which  he  went  on  coast  duty  on  the  U.  S.  S.  Yarnell.  The 
U.  S.  S.  Yarnell  was  an  oil  burning  destroyer.  Mr.  Felt  was  on  patrol  duty 
along  the  Atlantic  Coast  on  this  destroyer  for  three  months.  The  Yarnell 
patrolled  the  coast  for  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles.  He  was  discharged 
Dec.  18,  1918. 

Mr.  Felt  gives  an  ordinary  day's  work  for  a  seaman  who  was  in  the 
first  watch  on  the  Yarnell  as  follows: 

The  first  watch  consisted  of  from  six  to  eight  men.  They  rose  at  5 
A.  M.,  breakfasted  at  5:30,  and  relieved  the  fourth  watch  at  6  o'clock.  His 
duty  while  on  watch  was  to  look  at  the  gauges,  sound  the  oil  tank  and  see 
that  the  bilge  pumps  were  in  working  order,  and  to  tend  to  the  oil  burners. 
All  the  oil  burners  had  to  be  cleaned  once  during  each  four-hour  watch. 

A  watch  lasted  four  hours.  Firing  an  oil  burner  was  hot  work.  A  bath 
was  taken  on  leaving  the  watch,  after  which  several  hours  were'  spent  in 
sleep.  Dinner  was  served  at  noon.  From  the  end  of  the  watch  at  10  A.  M. 
till  he  went  on  watch  at  10  P.  M.,  there  was  nothing  to  do  except  stand  by 
for  emergencies  or  practice  work.  The  practice  work  consisted  in  fire 
drills,  leaving  the  ship,  in  firing  at  targets  and  in  making  smoke  screens. 

Leo  Ray  Anscomb 

Leo  Ray  Anscomb  volunteered  at  Rock  Island,  111.,  Dec.  13,  1917.  He 
was  stationed  at  Rock  Island  for  three  months,  then  was  sent  to  Camp  Jack- 


114 AVKTHKRSFIELP     SKETCHES 

son,  Columbia,  S.  C,  where  he  remained  for  two  months.  From  Camp  Jack- 
son he  was  moved  to  Camp  Hancock  near  Augusta,  Ga.,  where  he  remained 
three  months. 

He  was  next  sent  to  Camp  Mills,  Long  Island,  N.  Y.  Here,  with  the 
61st  Coast  Artillery,  on  the  26th  day  of  August,  1918,  he  started  for  France. 
He  remained  at  Brest  a  few  days,  then  was  sent  to  a  town  named 
Limoges  in  South  Central  France.  Here  his  company  received  their  artillery 
and  other  equipment. 

He  was  in  training  at  Limoges  when  the  war  ended.  He  sailed  from 
Marseilles,  France,  Feb.  10,  1919,  crossed  the  Atlantic  by  way  of  Gibraltar 
and  landed  at  New  York  City  on  March  2,  1919.  From  New  York  he  went 
to  Camp  Grant,  111.,  where  he  was  discharged  March  25,  1919. 

Ray  S.  Partridge 

Ray  S.  Partridge  enlisted  Dec.  15,  1917.  He  was  stationed  first  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  then  at  Rock  Island,  111.  At  Rock  Island  he  was  corporal  in 
the  Quartermaster  Corps.     He  was  discharged  June  11,  1919. 

Lest  We  Forget 

Beneath  the  sod  and  the  dew, 

Lie  these  soldier  boys  of  ours, 
Above  them  sing  the  birds, 

Above  them  bloom  the  flowers. 

The  shriek  and  the  roar  of  battle, 

No  longer  is  heard  in  the  land, 
But  neither  can  we  recall, 

The  warmth  of  a  vanished  hand. 

They  gave  their  lives,  their  all, 

To  free  a  nation,  a  world, 
From  the  curse  of  war  and  of  passion, 

Wherever  a  flag  is  unfurled. 

As  long  as  the  rocks  shall  stand, 

And  as  long  as  rivers  shall  flow, 
We  of  the  living  must  never  forget, 

The  debt  to  them  that  we  owe. 

So,  lest  we  forget  in  the  future, 
And  war  stalks  forth  o'er  the  main, 

Let  us  resolve  in  our  strength, 

That  they  sacrificed  never  in  vain. 

Let  our  hate  for  war  and  for  strife, 

Strengthen  throughout  the  years, 
As  the  soil  o'er  our  sacred  does, 

Bedecked  by  our  flowers  and  tears. 

Carroll  H.  Radford  b.    July  26,  1896 

He  enlisted  at  Great  Lakes  Training  Camp,  May  31,  1918.  He  left  the 
Great  Lakes  July  25,  1918,  for  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  where  he  remained  one 
week.    On  August  5,  he  left  Philadelphia  for  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia.    He  sailed 


WKTHERSFIKLO     SKETCHES 115 

from  Sidney,   Cape  Breton  Island,  on  August  10,  1918,  and  landed  at   Glas- 
gow, Scotland,  August  27. 

Out  at  sea  his  ship  was  met  by  a  convoy  of  thirty-eight  vessels.  Off 
the  Irish  coast  one  of  the  convoy  ships  was  torpedoed  and  11  men  were 
lost.  From  Glasgow  the  journey  was  made  to  Southampton,  England,  by 
rail.  From  Southampton  he  was  sent  to  Eastleigh,  England.  While  sta- 
tioned at  Eastleigh  he  contracted  lobar  pneumonia  and  died  Oct.  10,  1918. 
He  is  buried  in  the  Wethersfield  cemetery. 

George  S.   Bean 

George  S.  Bean  enlisted  July  18,  1918  in  the  Great  Lakes  Naval  Aviation 
Corps.     He  was  released  from  duty  Jan.  8,  1919. 

Fred  L.  Wells 

Fred  L.  Wells  enlisted  Dec.  14,  1917,  in  the  Aviation  Corps.  On  the  way 
to  Jefferson  Barracks,  Mo.,  he  spent  a  night  at  Davenport,  la.  He  was  at 
Jefferson  Barracks  six  weeks.  This  was  in  the  early  days  of  our  entering 
the  war  and  there  was  room  at  the  Barracks  for  only  about  5,000  men. 

On  the  day  he  arrived  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  besides  the  5,000  troops 
already  there,  10,000  more  came,  and  on  the  next  day  15,000  more.  The 
men  were  given  a  blanket  apiece  and  parceled  out  all  over  St.  Louis,  some 
in  the  armory,  some  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  buildings  and  some  in  the  basements 
of  the  hotels. 

From  Jefferson  Barracks  he  was  sent  to  Camp  Custer  at  Battle  Creek, 
Mich.  Here  he  spent  eight  weeks.  The  snow  drifted  five  feet  deep  in  places 
and  the  soldiers  were  set  to  making  roads  through  the  drifts.  From  Camp 
Custer  he  was  sent  to  Ft.  Worth,  Texas. 

On  the  morning  that  he  left  Camp  Custer  the  thermometer  stood  at  22 
degrees  below  zero.  When  he  reached  Ft.  Worth,  where  the  temperature 
was  60  degrees  above  zero,  the  change  from  living  in  steam  heated  barracks 
to  open  tents  was  so  great  that  he  nearly  froze. 

At  Ft.  Worth  Mr.  Wells  was  sergeant  in  charge  of  the  blacksmith  shop 
and  of  the  acetylene  welding.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  sent  to  Camp 
Grant,  111.,  where  he  was  discharged  April  2,  1919. 


Ruth   M.    (Johnstone)    Hawver  b.   Aug.    2,    1891 

Milmine,  111. 

Ruth  M.  Johnstone  became  a  U.  S.  Army  Student  Nurse  in  the  Medical 
Dept.,  Sept.  23,  1918.     She  was  stationed  at  the  following  places: 

U.  S.  Army  Base  Hospital,  Camp  Beauregard,  La.,  Oct.  11,  1918,  till  Dec. 
18,  1918;  U.  S.  Army  Base  Hospital,  Camp  Wadsworth,  S.  C,  Dec.  20,  1918, 
till  March  12,  1919;  U.  S.  Army  General  Hospital  No.  42,  March  12.  1919,  till 
April  2,  1919,  at  Spartanburg,  S.  C;  U.  S.  A.  General  Hospital  No.  28  at  Fort 
Sheridan,  111.,  April  2,  1919,  till  Oct.  31,  1919;  Chicago,  lying  in  hospital,  Chi- 
cago, 111.,  Oct.  31,  1919,  till  Feb,  28,  1920;  Children's  Memorial  Hospital,  Chi- 
cago, 111.,  Feb.  28,  1920,  till  May  15,  1920;  U.  S.  A.  General  Hospital  No.  28, 
Fort  Sheridan,  111.,  May  15,  1920,  till  Oct.  14,  1920.     Discharged  Oct.  14,  1920 

Walter  L.  Early  b.  Feb.  18,  1893 

Boatswain's  Mate  on  Arizona    U.S.S.  Arizona,  care  P.  M.,  San  Francisco,  Ca.l 

Walter  L.  Early  applied  for  enlistment  in  the  U.  S.  Navy  at  Davenport, 
la.,  and  was  sworn  into  service  July  24,  1912.     While  stationed  at  the  Great 


116 WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 

Lakes  Naval  Station  he  came  near  losing  his  life  when  a  launch  containing 
himself  and  twenty-four  others  was  capsized  during  a  squall  off  Lake  Bluff 
east  of  the  Naval  station.  Thirteen  of  the  twenty-five  men  in  the  launch 
were  drowned. 

In  November,  1912,  he  was  transferred  to  the  Maine,  then  acting  as  a 
receiving  ship  at  League  Island  Navy  Yards  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.  On  Dec.  23, 
1912,  he  was  again  transferred  to  the  U.  S.  S.  Minnesota.  On  Jan.  2,  1913, 
the  Atlantic  fleet  to  which  the  Minnesota  belonged  left  Hampton  Roads,  Va., 
for  Guantanamo,  Cuba.    Later  the  Minnesota  went  to  Colon,  Panama. 

The  great  breakwater  that  now  protects  the  anchorage  at  Colon  had 
not  then  been  built.  The  heavy  ground  swell  from  the  Caribbean  Sea  made 
a  rough  anchorage.  The  great  concrete  piers  and  warehouses  later  con- 
structed by  the  U.  S.  government  as  a  part  of  the  canal  system  had  not 
then  been  erected. 

Mr.  Early  made  a  trip  across  the  Isthmus  on  the  Panama  railroad  whose 
rails  were  laid  for  a  part  of  the  way  on  what  is  now  the  floor  of  Gatun 
Lake.  The  great  locks  at  Padro  Miguel  Miraflores  and  Gatun  were  being 
constructed  and  Culebra  Cut  was  a  mass  of  railroad  tracks,  rock  trains  and 
steam  shovels. 

While  on  a  cruise  to  Colon  in  1914  Mr.  Early's  ship  ran  into  a  terrible 
storm  off  Yucatan.  The  head  seas  were  so  strong  that  the  ship  shuddered 
and  staggered  from  the  pounding  she  was  receiving.  The  seas  piled  up 
against  the  forward  bulkhead  so  high  that  the  water  entered  the  dynamo 
ventilator  fifteen  feet  above  deck  and  flooded  the  dynamo  room. 

On  April  22,  1914,  during  the  Mexican  trouble,  the  Minnesota  was  at 
Vera  Cruz.  The  Minnesota  went  inside  the  breakwater  and  took  over  the 
prisoners  from  San  Juan  DeUlua.  The  authorities  of  the  city  had  fled  and 
ihe  prisoners  were  nearly  starved.  They  had  been  in  underground  dungeons 
so  long  that  their  eyes  had  to  be  bandaged  before  they  could  be  brought  to 
the  light. 

Mr.  Early's  ship  was  at  Vera  Cruz  again  in  August,  1914,  anchored  out- 
side the  breakwater.  Anchored  inside  were  the  German  cruiser,  Bremen;  the 
French  cruiser,  Conde,  and  the  Suffolk,  an  English  cruiser.  Just  at  dusk 
the  wireless  brought  to  Vera  Cruz  the  news  of  the  outbreak  of  the  World 
War.  The  Bremen  followed  by  the  Conde  and  Suffolk  under  forced  draft, 
the  black  smoke  rolling  from  their  funnels  and  the  orange  colored  flames 
showing  above  their  tops  raced  to  sea,  making  a  picture  never  to  be  for- 
gotten. 

Mr.  Early  was  stationed  upon  the  U.  S.  S.  Michigan  at  Hampton  Roads, 
Va.,  when,  in  January,  1916,  the  last  of  the  German  raiders  limped  in  after 
dodging  three  English  cruisers  that  were  lying  off  the  Virginia  Capes.  This 
raider  and  her  crew  were  interned  during  the  war. 

Late  in  1916  the  U.  S.  S.  Arizona,  upon  which  Mr.  Early  was  now  sta- 
tioned, began  to  train  crews  for  the  five  inch  guns  that  were  being  placed 
on  merchant  vessels.  The  Arizona  continued  at  this  work  during  the  war. 
The  ship  was  ordered  across  in  1918  and  was  at  Portland,  England,  when 
the  war  ended.  The  Arizona  was  with  the  fleet  which  escorted  the  George 
Washington,  President  Wilson's  ship,  into  the  port  of  France. 

In  January,  1919,  the  Arizona  started  on  a  forty-six  thousand  mile  cruise. 
The  vessel  first  went  around  Cuba,  visited  some  of  the  British  possessions 
in  the  West  Indies  and  Panama.  The  next  part  of  the  cruise  was  to  Brest, 
France.  While  here  the  Arizona  received  sealed  orders  to  be  opened  twenty- 
four  hours  at  sea.  These  orders  landed  the  ship  at  Smyrna,  Turkey.  The 
Arizona  was  at  this  place  when  the  first  Greek  expedition  arrived.  The  first 
battle  to  be  fought  here  was  plainly  visible  from  the  decks  of  the  Arizona. 

In  a  month  the  Arizona  was  ordered  to  Constantinople,  being  the  first 


WETHERSFIEI.P     SKETCHES 117 

American  battleship  to  pass  through  the  Dardanelles.  From  Constantinople 
the  Arizona  went  back  to  Smyrna,  thence  to  Gibraltar  and  then  to  New 
York.  In  January,  1921,  Mr.  Early  passed  through  the  Panama  Canal, 
thence  southward  to  Peru.  On  this  trip,  for  the  first  time,  he  crossed  the 
line  (the  equator)  and  was  introduced  into  the  Ancient  and  Honorable  Order 
of  "Shell  Backs"  becoming  a  full-fledged  deep  water  sailor. 

Lawrence  W.  Lyons  b.  August  9,  1896 

Private,  130th  Co.,  161st  Depot  Brigade 
Died  Oct.  19,  1918,  at  Camp  Grant,  of  influenza  pneumonia. 

William  Kersten  b.  Oct.  15,  1895 

Kewanee,  111. 

William  Kersten  entered  Co.  F.,  311th  Ammunition  Train,  86th  Black- 
hawk  Div.,  June  26,  1918.  He  left  Camp  Mills,  N.  J.,  on  Sept.  24,  1918,  on 
H.  M.  S.  Rhesus  and  landed  at  Liverpool,  Eng.,  Oct.  11,  1918.  While 
near  the  English  coast  the  fleet  encountered  a  severe  storm  in  which  two 
vessels  were  lost. 

He  was  stationed  about  thirty  miles  from  Bordeaux  when  the  war  ended. 
He  embarked  for  home  at  Bordeaux  Jan.  19,  1919,  on  the  German  ship, 
Duchess,  renamed  U.  S.  S.  Zeelandia.  He  landed  at  Newport  News,  Va., 
Jan.  29,  1919.    His  discharge  took  place  at  Camp  Grant  Feb.  9,  1919. 

Edward  O.  Krumnow  b.  Nov.  20,  1893 

Leather  Cutter  Kewanee,  111. 

Edward  O.  Krumnow  entered  the  World  War  April  28,  1918,  and  was 
stationed  at  Camp  Dodge,  la.,  as  a  member  of  Co.  I.,  349th  Inf.,  till  May  18. 
He  was  transferred  to  Headquarters  Co.,  Engineers,  at  Camp  Travis,  Texas, 
and  again  transferred  to  Co.  C,  Engineers. 

On  June  5,  1918,  his  division  was  ordered  to  entrain  for  overseas  duty 
with  the  A.  E.  F.  He  left  New  York  June  13,  going  to  Halifax,  then  on 
board  a  convoy  of  eleven  ships.  He  reached  Liverpool,  England,  in  fifteen 
days.  He  took  a  train  to  Southampton,  thence  across  the  channel  to  France, 
arriving  July  1,  1918. 

He  was  in  camp  at  Recy  till  Aug.  21,  when  his  company  moved  into  the 
battle  area.  He  was  at  St.  Mihiel  from  Sept.  12  till  Sept.  29 ;  on  the  Meuse- 
Argonne  from  Oct.  8  till  Nov.  11,  and  in  the  Army  of  Occupation  from  Nov. 
22  till  June  7,  1919. 

His  trip  into  Germany  took  twenty-eight  days,  Leiser  was  made  head- 
quarters. He  left  this  place  on  June  7  and  arrived  at  St.  Nazairre  June  15. 
On  June  26  he  was  in  New  York  City.  In  a  few  days  he  was  sent  to  Camp 
Grant  where  he  was  discharged  June  30,  1919. 

John  W.  Perkins       b.  Nov.  29,  1895 
Operator  on  Car  Kewanee,  111. 

John  W.  Perkins  entered  the  World  War  on  April  29,  1918,  as  a  member 
of  Co.  C,  358th  Inf.  of  the  9th  Div.  He  landed  at  Liverpool  July  2,  1918, 
then  crossed  the  channel  to  LaHarve,  France. 

On  Sept.  11,  1918,  he  was  sent  to  the  front  line  trenches  and  was 
wounded  by  a  piece  of  shrapnel  in  the  St.  Mihiel  drive  on  Sept.  12.  On 
Sept.  16  his  company  was  carried  to  the  Meuse-Argonne  sector  where  they 
were  under  fire  from  Oct.  19  to  Nov.  11,  1918.  On  Nov.  10th  his  company 
went  over  the  top,  crossed  the  Meuse  river  and  sent  a  patrol  into  the  town 
of  Beygon,  but  failed  to  find  a  single  German. 


118 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 


He  was  in  the  Army  of  Occupation  stationed  at  Palm,  Germany.  His 
return  to  the  United  States  was  made  on  the  U.  S.  S.  Mongolian  landing  at 
Boston.  From  Boston  he  went  to  Camp  Grant,  where  he  was  discharged 
June  14,  1919. 


Faras  H.  Nahra 
Machine  Operator 


b.  July  25,  1894 
245  W.  Division  St.,  Kewanee,  111. 


He  enlisted  July  22,  1917,  in  Co.  K.,  but  w«as  transferred  to  Battery  E., 
123d  Heavy  Artillery.  From  Springfield,  111.,  he  was  sent  to  Camp  Houston, 
Texas,  where  he  remained  till  May  14,  1918.  On  that  day  he  started  for 
Camp  Merritt,  N.  J.,  and  on  May  26,  he  sailed  on  board  the  Scotian  for 
Liverpool,  England. 

He  was  sent  from  Liverpool  to  Wimbledon,  near  Winchester,  on  the 
southern  coast  of  England.  He  crossed  from  Southampton  to  LaHarve, 
France,  in  the  ship,  Viper.  For  three  days  and  two  nights  they  traveled  by 
train  across  France  to  the  Swiss  Alps,  where  he  was  billeted  till  sent  to 
the  front. 

He  was  sent  to  the  Toul  sector,  reaching  it  on  Aug.  23,  1918,  where  his 
division  backed  up  the  90th  Division.  On  the  morning  of  Sept.  11,  the  heavy 
artillery  fire  drove  the  enemy  back  and  gave  the  infantry  a  chance  to  ad- 
vance.   By  the  14th  the  enemy  was  beyond  the  reach  of  artillery  fire. 

The  heavy  artillery  was  then  sent  to  the  sector  north  of  Verdun.  On 
the  26th  of  August  a  heavy  fire  was  kept  up  on  the  enemy  for  nine  hours. 
When  Mr.  Nahra's  battery  went  into  action  on  the  Toul  sector  it  had  one 
hundred  and  seventy-five  horses.  At  the  close  of  the  Argonne  action  the 
number  had  been  reduced  to  seventy-five.  There  were  so  few  horses  left 
that  the  heavy  artillery  waited  for  tractors  to  haul  it  against  the  retreating 
enemy.  The  horses  that  remained  were  turned  over  to  the  124th  Light  Ar- 
tillery. 

When  the  Armistice  was  signed  Mr.  Nahra  went  with  the  Army  of 
Occupation  into  Luxemburg.  He  was  here  till  April  29,  1919.  He  came 
home  on  the  U.  S.  S.  America.  He  was  discharged  from  Camp  Grant  Oct.  11, 
1919. 


On    Guard    Duty 


WETHERSFIKLD     SKETCHES 119 

Harry  Bloom 

Harry  Bloom,  b.  Jan.  6,  1893.  He  entered  the  war  July  10,  1918,  as  a 
member  of  Company  D.,  112th  Infantry.  He  was  discharged  May  15,  1919. 
He  is  a  farm  hand,  Kewanee,  111. 

Arthur  A.  Lindstrom 

Arthur  A.  Lindstrom,  b.  July  9,  1886.  He  entered  the  war  June  26,  1918. 
He  was  stationed  at  Camp  Grant,  being  a  member  of  19th  Co.,  161st  Depot 
Brigade.    He  was  discharged  Dec.  11,  1918.     He  is  a  farmer,  Kewanee,  111. 

Orain  O.  Chamberlain 

Orain  O.  Chamberlain,  b.  Aug.  8,  1888,  farmer,  No.  2,  Kewanee,  III.  He 
entered  the  war  at  Vinton,  la.,  July  22,  1918.  He  was  first  a  member  of 
Cas.  Co.  55,  stationed  at  Camp  Pike,  Ark.  On  Aug.  28,  1918,  he  embarked 
with  Co.  A. ,330th  Inf.,  landing  at  St.  Nazairre,  France.  He  saw  active 
service  for  six  months.  He  sailed  for  home  on  the  U.  S.  S.  Frederick,  land- 
ing at  Hoboken,  N.  J.,  Jan.  30,  1919.  He  was  discharged  at  Camp  Dodge,  la., 
Feb.  10,  1919. 

Sylvester  L.  Baker 

Sylvester  L.  Baker,  b.  Aug.  24,  1893.  Supt.  of  Service  and  Man.  of  Valet 
Dept.  for  Webster  Hall  Hotel.     4857  St.  Antoine  St.,  Detroit,  Mich. 

He  entered  Special  Detached  Service,  Stevedore  Training  Reg.,  Nov.  10, 
1917,  from  which  he  was  honorably  discharged  May  28,  1918.  He  again  en- 
tered the  war  Aug.  5,  1918.  This  time  entering  Special  Detached  Unassigned 
Pioneer  Inf.,  1st  and  4th  Army  Corps. 

He  was  wounded  in  the  Argonne  offensive  Oct.  29,  1918.  He  received 
honors  Dec.  21,  1918,  while  in  Convalescence  Camp  No.  5,  at  Nantes,  France. 
He  was  discharged  the  second  time  April  28,  1919. 

Herbert  C.  Kellogg 

Herbert  C.  Kellogg,  b.  June  23,  1888.  Refrigerating  Engineer.  17586 
Holmer  Ave.,  Detroit,  Mich. 

He  entered  the  war  in  April,  1918.  He  was  instructor  in  the  G-as  Engine 
School  for  a  month  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.  In  October,  1918,  he  sailed  on  the 
U.S.S.  Saxon  for  England,  thence  to  the  American  Tank  Center  and  Training 
Grounds  at  Bourg,  France.  He  returned  by  way  of  Southern  France  and 
the  Mediterranean  to  New  York.     He  was  discharged  in  May,  1919. 

John  H.  Franklin 

John  H.  Franklin,  b.  Aug.  19,  1886.  Farm  laborer,  Conway,  la.  At  the 
time  Mr.  Franklin  entered  the  war  he  was  employed  on  the  Craig  farm. 

He  entered  the  war  Aug.  5,  1918,  belong  to  Co.  D.,  803rd  Pioneer  Inf. 
He  was  in  the  skirmishes  of  the  Meuse-Argonne  offensive  Oct.  22  to  Nov. 
11,  1918.  After  Nov.  11,  till  discharged  he  was  on  police  duty  guarding  am- 
munition yards,  etc.     He  was  discharged  at  Camp  Grant  July  25,  1919. 

John  H.  Fraser 

John  H.  Fraser,  b.  May,  15,  1891,  Structural  Iron  Worker,  321  Payson 
St.,  Kewanee,  111.  He  entered  the  war  Feb.  15,  1918.  He  was  discharged 
Jan.  14,  1919. 

Mr.  Fraser  was  first  stationed  at  Great  Lakes  Training  camp,  then  was 
sent  to  the  Philadelphia  Navy  Yards.     On  June  15,  1918,  he  sailed  from  New 


120 WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 

York  on  the  George  Washington,  landing  at  St.  Nazairre,  France,  on  June 
28,  1918. 

Mr.  Fraser  enlisted  as  a  sailor,  but  was  transferred  into  the  marines 
on  reaching  France.  He  says  the  big  guns  were  assembled  at  St.  Nazairre. 
On  Sept.  1  he  went  to  the  front  at  Verdun  and  was  there  till  shortly  before 
the  11th  of  November.     He  was  at  Villa  De  Shaumont  when  firing  ceased. 

Mr.  Fraser  served  with  the  heavy  artillery.  He  says  the  big  guns  were 
all  landed  at  St.  Nazairre  then  moved  to  a  base  station  at  Somme  Dieu  be- 
fore taking  them  to  the  front.     He  describes  a  Big  Bertha  as  follows: 

Gun  car  complete 250  tons 

Gun  barrel 60  ft. 

Recoil 42  inches 

Warren  E.  Green 

Warren  E.  Green,  b.  Oct.  28,  1894.  Farmer,  Galva,  111.  He  entered  the 
World  War  July  10,  1918.  Before  being  sent  to  France  he  was  stationed  at 
Camp  Grant,  111.,  Camp  Robison,  Sparta,  Wis.,  and  at  Camp  Mills,  N.  Y.  He 
was  discharged  Jan.  18,  1919.    A.  E.  F.,  333rd  H.  F.  A. 

William  H.  Evans 

William  H.  Evans,  b.  Nov.  11,  1896.  Machine  Operator,  Kewanee,  111.  He 
enlisted  Aug.  15,  1918.  He  was  stationed  for  eight  weeks  at  Chicago  Uni- 
versity, taking  a  machinist's  course.  He  was  then  sent  to  Camp  Hancock, 
Ga.  He  belonged  to  Co.  10,  1st  Group,  M.  T.  D.,  M.  G.  T.  C.  He  was  dis- 
charged Jan.  15,  1919. 

Carl  F.  Kersten 

Carl  F.  Kersten,  b.  Oct.  9,  1889.  He  entered  the  army  Sept.  17,  1917. 
He  was  stationed  at  Fort  Dodge,  la.,  for  six  weeks,  then  was  sent  to  Camp 
Logan,  Houston,  Tex.  He  was  in  2nd  Co.,  M.  P.  of  the  33rd  Div.  He  was 
stationed  at  Camp  Logan  till  January,  1919. 

Clyde  E.  Rorah  b.  March  28,  1895 

Boiler  Maker  E.  Mill  St.,  Kewanee,  111. 

Clyde  E.  Rorah  entered  the  World  War  May  28,  1918.  He  was  stationed 
at  Atlanta,  Ga.,  before  going  overseas.  On  July  6,  1918,  he  sailed  for  Liver- 
pool. From  Southampton,  England,  he  crossed  the  English  Channel  to 
Cherbourg,  France,  then  to  LeMans. 

His  division,  the  131st  Inf.,  was  at  the  front  on  Sept.  12,  1918.  The 
battle  line  here  was  in  the  shape  of  a  curve  with  the  French  at  one  end, 
the  English  at  the  other,  and  the  Americans  in  between.  It  took  two  days 
<of  fighting  to  straighten  up  the  battle  line. 

It  was  quiet  along  the  entire  front  from  Sept.  26  till  Oct.  8.  During 
tills  time  the  Austrian  troops  who  had  been  facing  the  131st  Infantry,  were 
relieved  by  German  troops.  On  Oct.  8,  1918,  there  was  an  advance  along  the 
whole  line.  The  131st  Inf.  crossed  the  Meuse  river  at  night  on  pontoon 
bridges.  A  smoke  screen  was  put  up  to  hide  the  Americans  while  crossing 
the  river  and  open  ground  beyond. 

The  drive  was  continued  into  the  Argonne  Woods  on  Oct.  9.  The 
American  objective  was  reached  at  10  o'clock  on  the  9th.  Here  the  fresh 
German  troops  made  five  counter-attacks.  On  the  fifth  attack  a  company 
on  the  flank  of  Company  G  gave  way  and  German  troops  surrounded  and 


5 
1 
1 

pkgs.  tobacco, 
can  salmon, 
can  milk. 

1 
1 

can  jam. 
can  tomatoes. 

1 

can  corn. 

1 
1 

can  peas, 
bar  soap. 

WETHERSFIKLD     SKETCHES 321 

captured  all  that  was  left  of  that  company.  Out  of  140  men  who  had  started 
on  the  morning  of  Oct.  8,  there  were  only  eleven  left  to  be  captured. 

Mr.  Rorah,  with  the  others,  were  taken  to  Stenay.  In  two  weeks  he 
was  sent  to  the  German  prison  camp  at  Rasstatt,  Germany.  At  this  camp 
were  nearly  2,600  American  prisoners — all  that  had  been  captured  during 
the  war.  Mr.  Rorah  was  here  when  the  Armistice  was  declared  Nov.  11, 
1918. 

While  the  Germans  were  supposed  to  feed  the  prisoners  at  Rasstatt, 
had  it  not  been  for  the  rations  and  clothing  issued  by  the  American  Red 
Cross,  the  prisoners  would  have  suffered.  A  ten  days'  ration  issued  to  each 
prisoner  by  the  Red  Cross  was  as  follows: 

1  can  roast  beef. 

2  cans  corned  beef. 
2  cans  hash. 
4  cans   pork  and  beans. 
6%  lbs.  bread. 
1  lb.  coffee. 
1  lb.  sugar. 
1  lb.  dried  fruit. 

Mr.  Rorah  says  that  the  rations  were  more  than  sufficient.  The  prison- 
ers who  died  in  this  camp,  eleven  in  number,  were  buried  in  a  piece  of  land 
set  apart  for  that  purpose.  The  prisoners  were  allowed  to  send  two  post 
cards  per  month  to  their  relatives  in  America.  Several  received  packages 
from  home.  They  were  well  treated  by  the  German  people  and  the  prison 
guards. 

Mr.  Rorah  sailed  from  Brest,  France,  March  5,  1919.  He  was  discharged 
April  2,  1919. 

George  R.  Johnstone,  b.  July  21,  1888.  Asst.  Prof,  of  Botany,  University 
of  Southern  California,  Los  Angeles,  Calif. 

George  R.  Johnstone  enlisted  Dec.  12,  1917,  in  Quartermaster  Corps, 
Finance  Branch.  He  was  stationed  as  follows  during  his  term  of  service: 
Columbus  Barracks,  O.,  Dec.  13-17,  1917;  Camp  Johnston,  Fla.,  Dec.  17,  1917, 
till  March  3,  1918;  Camp  Merritt,  N.  Y.,  March  3  till  March  28,  1918;  on  the 
Atlantic  from  March  28  to  April  7,  1918;  Pontanzen  Barracks,  Brest  France, 
April  7-14,  1918;  Camp  Rochambeau,  St.  Pierre  des  Corps  (near  Tours), 
April  17-30,  1918;  7th  Aviation  Center,  near  Clarmont-Ferrond,  May  1,  1918, 
till  June  30,  1918;  2nd  Aviation  Center,  near  Tours,  July  1,  1918,  till  March 
17,  1919;  leave  of  absence,  Aug.  15-25,  1918  to  visit  Marseilles,  Monte  Carlo, 
Lyons  and  Paris;  Base  Sec.  6,  Marseilles,  March  17  till  April  3,  1919,  de- 
tached service  at  the  University  of  Grenoble,  April  3  till  July  7,  1919;  St. 
Nazairre  Casual  Co.,  July  7  till  date  of  discharge.  He  arrived  in  the  U.  S., 
July  18,  1919,  and  was  discharged  July  24,  1919. 

Mr.  Johnstone  describes  a  day  at  sea  as  follows:  "This  is  the  eighth 
day  at  sea.  The  horizon  is  foggy  but  higher  up  in  the  sky  it  is  very  bright. 
During  the  first  few  days  of  our  voyage  there  was  a  big  "line  up"  for  mess 
and  the  cook  had  to  keep  the  boys  back  from  mobbing  the  place.  Now  I 
never  find  a  lineup,  only  a  few  stragglers  come  along  for  chow.  Yesterday 
the  cook  was  up  on  deck  with  a  big  club  trying  to  drive  the  boys  down 
to  eat. 

I  slept  in  a  hammock  last  night  on  the  upper  deck  in  the  open  air. 
We  met  a  camouflaged  freighter  last  evening,  and  felt  very  much  relieved 
this  morning  when  we  saw  six  submarine  chasers  coming  to  meet  our  con- 
voy.    They  remained  with  us  until  we  reached  the  port  of  Brest." 


122 


WETHKRSFIELD     SKETCHES 


While  at  the  University  of  Grenoble  Mr.  Johnstone  had  many  short  leaves 
of  absence.  Some  of  the  places  visited  were  Rheims,  Soissons,  Chateau 
Thierry,  Versailles,  Lake  Geneva,  Mt.  Blanc,  Nimes  and  Aries.  While  at 
Grenoble  he  was  one  of  a  party  that  climbed  Mt.  Blanc.  He  describes  the 
ascent  as  follows: 

"It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  of  a  day  in  June  when  we  arrived  at 
Chamonix,  a  little  Alpine  village  at  the  foot  of  Mt.  Blanc,  the  highest  moun- 
tain peak  in  the  Alps.  Each  of  us  had  provided  ourselves  with  an  Alpine 
walking  stick  which  had  a  sharp  steel  point  at  one  end  for  use  in  climbing 
the  glacier.  We  had  four  French  guides  and  an  equal  number  of  porters. 
We  began  the  ascent  at  11  P.  M.,  carrying  lighted  lanterns  as  we  followed 
the  trail  through  the  dark  forest. 

The  timber-line  was  reached  at  daybreak.  At  this  point  of  the  ascent 
we  started  the  most  perilous  part  of  our  journey  among  the  ice  crevices 
on  the  glacier  de  Bossons.  The  crevices  were  three  or  four  feet  wide  at 
the  top.  One  could  not  determine  their  depth.  We  tied  ourselves  together 
with  long  ropes,  forming  four  caravans  with  a  guide  leading  each. 

The  half-way  house  was  reached  at  10  A.  M.  This  was  far  above  the 
clouds  which  hung  over  the  valley  below.  After  resting  and  eating  our 
lunch  at  the  half-way  house  we  continued  the  climb.  The  highest  point 
was  reached  after  a  very  fatiguing  struggle  through  soft  snow,  which  had 
recently  fallen  on  the  upper  part  of  the  glacier.  Most  of  us  fully  appre- 
ciated the  physiological  effects  of  high  altitudes,  hunger,  fatigue,  rapid  pal- 
pitation of  the  heart  and  accelerated  breathing.  We  were  very  glad  to  get 
back  to  the  half-way  house  to  spend  the  night.  The  rest  of  the  journey 
back  to  Chamonix,  then  to  Grenoble,  was  made  the  next  morning." 

Vernon  J.  Anderson 

Vernon  J.  Anderson,  b.  Nov.  23,  1897.  Painter,  Kewanee,  111.  He  entered 
Co.  K.,  June  30,  1916.  Company  K.  became  Bat.  EL,  123rd  Field  Art.,  33rd 
Div.  Mr.  Anderson  served  as  ammunition  driver  at  the  St.  Mihiel  sector 
from  Sept.  12-16,  1918,  at  the  Meuse-Argonne  sector,  from  Sept.  26  to  Oct. 
11,  1918,,  and  in  the  Army  of  Occupation  from  Jan.  1st,  till  April  12,  1919.  He 
was  discharged  June  7,  1919. 

Orville  Logsdon.     Gunner's  Mate  on  the  U.  S.  S.  Rochester. 


"         „    --  SvC 

illtll^ 

■•      ,.v'''>^*-,'i*;*    '• 

IS 

In    Camp 


W  K  T H  K  K  S  F 1 K  L.  1>     S  K  K  T  C  H  K  S 123 

Arnold  B.  Winquist 

Arnold  B.  Winquist,  b.  July  30,  1895.  2857  S.  Harcourt  Ave.,  Los 
Angeles,  Calif.  He  entered  the  war  in  1917  and  was  stationed  at  Waco, 
Texas.     He  was  discharged  in  the  spring  of  1919. 

H.  W.  McGinnis 
A.  E.  F.,  Bat.  E.,  123rd  H.  F.  A. 

Cullen  Hunt 

Cullen  Hunt,  b.  Aug.  2,  1895.  A.  E.  F.,  F.  A.  S.  Det.  Pantagraph  Office, 
Bloomington,  111. 

Clayton  F.  Bowen 

Clayton  F.  Bowen,  b.  Oct.  9,  1891.  Jeweler.  213  South  Chestnut  Street, 
Kewanee,  111.  He  entered  Co.  B.,  343rd  M.  G.  N.  Bat.,  90th  Div.,  on  April  29, 
1918.  He  arrived  at  Liverpool  June  23,  1918.  He  served  on  the  St.  Mihiel 
sector  from  Aug.  24  till  Oct.  10,  1912,  then  was  sent  to  the  Meuse-Argonne 
sector.  Here  on  Nov.  1,  1918,  he  was  gassed  and  sent  to  the  hospital.  He 
came  home  on  the  Von  Steuben.     Discharged  April  13,  1919. 

Matthew  T.  Meaney 
Matthew  T.  Meaney,  b.  Oct.  18,  1895.     In  the  Galvanizing  Dept.  at  Wal. 
1002  E.  9th  St.,  Kewanee. 

He  entered  the  navy  Dec.  11,  1913.  Discharged  Dec.  17,  1917,  after  four 
years'  service.  During  service  he  was  respectively,  apprentice  seaman,  ordi- 
nary seaman,  third  class  and  second  class  fireman.  He  served  on  the  U.  S. 
S.  Washington  and  the  U.  S.  S.  Des  Moines. 

While  in  service  Mr.  Meaney  visited  many  places  of  interest,  among 
which  were  the  ruins  of  Pompeii  on  the  side  of  Mt.  Vesuvius,  Italy,  and  the 
Catacombs  on  the  outskirts  of  Alexandria,  Egypt. 

He  joined  the  64th  Reg.,  Bat.  E.,  C.  A.  C,  April  2,  1918.  He  sailed  for 
LaHarve,  France,  on  the  "Kyber,"  serving  as  fireman.  He  was  stationed  at 
Montmorillon  in  the  province  of  Bienne  when  the  war  ceased.  He  was  dis- 
charged March  29,  1919.  He  re-enlisted  in  the  navy  May  5,  1920,  serving  as 
first  class  fireman  till  May  4,  1922,  when  he  was  discharged. 

William  P.  Sandford 
William  P.  Sanford,  b.  Oct.  27,  1896.    Instructor  in  public  speaking,  Ohio 
State  University.     151  Crestview  Rd.,  Columbus,  O. 

William  P.  Sanford  entered  the  World  War  June  20,  1917,  being  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Ordnance  Dept.  While  at  the  training  school  at  Rock  Island 
Arsenal  he  was  promoted  to  sergeant  Sept.  15,  1917.  He  was  sent  to  Ord. 
Depot  No.  13,  Camp  Lewis,  Tacoma,  Wash.  While  here  he  was  promoted 
to  Ord.  Sgt. 

On  Jan.  1,  1918,  he  was  sent  to  the  Officer's  Training  School,  Camp 
Meade,  Md.  On  March  1,  1918,  he  was  commissioned  2nd  Lt.  and  assigned 
to  the  Aerial  Armament  Div.  of  Air  Service.  He  was  next  sent  for  training 
to  Machine  Gun  School  at  Springfield,  Mass.,  Armory,  and  on  April  15,  1918, 
he  was  sent  to  Wilbur  Wright  Field,  Dayton,  O.,  for  additional  training. 

Mr.  Sanford  was  sent  overseas  June  27,  1918,  and  was  assigned  to  duty 
as  armament  officer  with  the  Air  Service.  He  served  during  the  St.  Mihiel 
drive  and  first  part  of  Meuse-Argonne  offensive  with  the  12th  Aero  Squad. 


124 WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 

In  the  middle  of  October  he  was  assigned  to  the  100th  Day  Bombing  Squad, 
which  was  preparing  for  drive  with  the  Second  Army  on  Metz.  He  was  with 
this  squadron  when  the  war  ceased. 

After  the  Armistice  he  was  assigned  to  258th  Aero  Squad,  which  went 
into  Germany  with  the  Army  of  Occupation,  being  stationed  at  Weissen- 
thurm,  opposite  Nieuwied,  below  Coblenz.  On  June  1,  1919,  he  was  relieved 
from  this  post,  and  for  six  weeks  directed  the  salvage  of  German  machine 
guns  at  Ordnance  headquarters  at  Mehun-sur-Yevre.  He  was  discharged 
Aug.  14,  1919. 

Mr.  Sanford  has  official  credit  for  participation  in  St.  Mihiel  and  Ar- 
gonne  offensives  and  for  service  in  defensive  sector.  He  had  two  leaves 
of  absence  while  overseas.  On  one  of  these  he  visited  Nice  and  Monte  Carlo, 
on  the  other  he  made  a  rapid  trip  through  England,  Scotland  and  Ireland. 

James  H.  Hand 

James  H.  Hand,  b.  Nov.  25,  1891.  Laborer  in  Core  Room  at  Wal.  119 
Edward  St.,  Kewanee.  He  entered  Co.  L.,  130th  Inf.,  A.  E.  F.,  Sept.  18,  1917. 
He  was  discharged  May  31,  1919. 

He  was  on  the  Somme  offensive  from  July  20,  till  Aug.  20,  1918;  Meuse 
Argonne  offensive  from  Sept.  26,  till  Nov.  11,  1918;  and  in  the  Army  of 
Occupation  from  Dec.  12,  1918,  till  April  1,  1919.  In  the  following  paragraphs 
Mr.  Hand  describes  how  the  American  outposts  went  through  "No  Man's 
Land"  into  the  German  lines  at  night  to  capture  the  enemy's  pickets. 

A  squad  consisted  of  from  eight  to  twelve  men,  each  armed  with  a 
Colt  "45,"  two  shrapnel  hand  grenades,  two  liquid  fire  grenades  and  gen- 
erally two  smoke  or  gas  grenades.  One  of  the  squad  carried  a  pair  of  long 
handled  wire  cutters.  The  wire  would  be  cut  and  the  squad  would  crawl 
through  into  "No  Man's"  Land.  Silently  the  men  would  advance,  keeping 
hidden  as  much  as  possible.  When  a  rocket  was  thrown  up  by  the  Germans 
every  man  of  the  squad  would  hug  the  ground  as  closely  as  possible. 

The  German  pickets  were  often  careless  and  sometimes  the  Americans 
found  them  asleep.  Approaching  a  picket  he  would  be  hailed  by  the  words 
"Hold  up  your  hands."  Up  would  go  his  hands.  One  American  would  keep 
him  covered  with  a  revolver  and  a  companion  would  search  him  for  weapons. 

When  prisoners  were  taken  back  into  the  American  lines,  officers  would 
question  them  about  the  German's  plans,  then  they  would  be  sent  back  to 
prison  camps. 

Claire  J.  Robb 

Claire  J.  Robb,  b.  Jan.  13,  1892.  Dist.  Sales  Man.  of  Campbell  Sales 
Co.  35-85th  Ave.,  W.  Duluth,  Minn.  He  entered  the  war  May  28,  1918,  be- 
longing to  the  Med.  Det.  Prov.  Conv.  Bat.  He  was  trained  at  Camp  Gordon, 
Ga.  While  in  France  he  was  stationed  at  LeMans.  He  was  discharged  June 
29,  1919. 

Mr.  Robb  says  of  France  as  he  saw  it:  "The  people  seem  to  be  living 
in  the  stone  age  as  far  as  advanced  civilization  is  concerned.  They  wear 
wooden  shoes  and  the  plainest  of  clothing.  They  cook  over  open  grates  and 
live  under  very  unsanitary  conditions,  often  the  cow,  horse  and  chickens 
living  in  the  room  the  peasants  use  as  a  sleeping  room. 

The  people  seem  to  have  no  desire  to  learn  English  but  are  keen  to 
have  the  Americans  learn  French.  Women  work  in  the  fields  and  tend  stock 
in  much  the  same  way  men  do  in  this  country.  From  what  I  could  learn 
this  was  not  due  to  war  times  but  was  the  natural  pre-war  life. 

The  country  is  beautiful,  lots  of  woodland,  a  slightly  rolling  surface, 
good  roads  in  peace  times  and  many  small  streams  of  water.     The  buildings 


WETHERSFIELP     SKETCHES 125 

are  mostly  of  concrete  and  stone  and  are  much  alike  in  architecture.  There 
is  little  modern  plumbing.  In  the  city  of  LeMans,  which  during  the  war 
had  a  population  of  about  300,000  French  people,  there  were  but  eight  build- 
ings with  modern  plumbing." 

Avery  M.  Whitwell 
Avery  M.  Whitwell,  b.  April  13,  1892.     Volunteered  May  9,  1918.     Tank 
Corps.     Saw  service  in  France. 

Clement  J.  Hagerty 
Clement  J.  Hagerty,  b.  Nov.  19,  1898.     He  entered  the  war  in  Septem- 
ber, 1917,  and  was  discharged  in  July,  1919.     89th  Aero  Squadron.     No.  4, 
Kewanee,  111. 

Leo  D.  Moore 
Leo  D.  Moore,  b.  March  11,  1894.     He  entered  the  war  June  10,  1918. 
He  was  stationed  at  Bremerton,  Wash.,  as  a  ship  carpenter  during  the  war. 
He  was  discharged  early  in   1919.     Home  address:      303  Whitney  Avenue, 
Kewanee,  111. 

Lee  Binge 
Lee  Binge,  b.  Aug.   1886.     Farmer.     224  Payson   St.,   Kewanee,  111.     He 
entered  the  7th  Co.,  161st  Depot  Brig.,  July  10,  1918.    Discharged  Dec.  7,  1918. 


Chow    Call 

Eldon  H.  Seifert 
Eldon  H.  Seifert,  b.  Sept.  8,  1893.     In  general  work  at  Bennison  Bros. 
He  entered  the  war  Sept.  5,  1918,  and  was  discharged  Jan.  2,  1919.     Address 
124  Poplar  Street,  Kewanee,  111.     Mr.  Seifert  was  stationed  at  Camp  Forest 
during  the  war. 

Leslie  H.  Cronau 
Prior  to  the  World  War  Leslie  H.  Cronau  was  employed  by  the  U.  S. 
government  as  a  truck  driver  (civilian  employee)  along  the  border  and  went 


126 WETHKRSFIELD     SKETCHES 

into  Mexico  with  Pershing's  Expedition,  returning  in  December,  1916.  He 
was  in  Moline,  111.,  inspecting  trucks  for  foreign  service,  built  by  the  Velie 
Co.,  when  the  war  was  declared. 

He  applied  for  enlistment  April  6,  1917,  the  day  that  the  U.  S.  declared 
war.  He  was  duly  enlisted  April  24,  1917,  and  assigned  to  3rd  Aero  Squad., 
at  Kelly  Field,  Tex.  In  June,  1917,  he  was  sent  to  Wilbur  Wright  Field  at 
Dayton,  O.,  being  transferred  to  the  20th  Aero  Squad.,  in  which  he  finished 
training. 

At  Wilbur  Wright  Field  he  was  assigned  to  the  Instructor's  Division 
and  was  sent  to  numerous  training  camps  for  short  periods,  instructing  other 
cadents.  His  organization  later  became  Squad  I.  He  was  discharged  Feb. 
10,  1919,  owing  to  injuries  received  in  service. 


William  R.  Pulliam 

William  R.  Pulliam,  b.  Feb.  2,  1901.  Farmer  at  Zearaldstown,  Tenn.  He 
enlisted  May  31,  1918,  in  Co.  27,  C.  A.  C.  He  was  stationed  at  Jefferson 
Barracks,  Mo.,  till  discharged. 

Walter  T.  Dougherty 

Walter  T.  Dougherty,  b.  July  7,  1897.  Painter.  Kingsport,  Tenn.  He 
enlisted  June  2,  1918,  in  Bat.  D.,  38th  Div.  of  Artillery.  He  was  stationed 
successively  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Mo.,  Fts.  Totten  and  Hamilton,  N.  Y., 
and  Camps  Eustis  and  Stuart,  Va.     Discharged  Dec.  24,  1918. 

Laurence  C.  Cady 

Laurence  C.  Cady,  b.  June  24,  1895.  Draftsman  at  Wal.  242  Tenney 
St.,  Kewanee,  111.  He  entered  the  war  April  17,  1917.  Before  going  to  Camp 
Merritt,  N.  J.,  he  was  stationed  at  Camp  Reig,  E.  St.  Louis,  and  at  Camp 
Logan  in  Texas. 

He  left  Camp  Merritt  May  27,  1918,  on  H.  M.  S.  Scotian  and  reached 
Liverpool  June  8,  1918.  He  crossed  from  Southampton  to  LaHarve.  He  was 
stationed  for  some  time  at  Camp  du  Valduhon,  then  was  sent  to  the  St. 
Mihiel  sector  where  he  was  in  the  offensive  of  Sept.  11,  1918. 

After  two  days  Bat.  E.,  123rd  Heavy  Art.,  to  which  he  belonged,  was 
sent  to  the  Meuse  Argonne  sector.  He  was  here  till  Oct.  11,  1918.  He  was 
stationed  at  Doulain  Court  when  the  Armistice  was  declared. 

On  Dec.  26,  1918,  having  been  transferred  to  Hdqr.  Sec,  he  went  into 
Luxemburg  and  was  stationed  at  Prettingen.  He  sailed  for  home  from  Brest, 
France,  and  was  discharged  at  Camp  Grant  June  8,  1919. 

C.  L.  Dexter 

C.  L.  Dexter,  b.  Feb.  29.  1892.  Feed  Merchant,  429  Prospect  Terrace, 
Freeport,  111.  He  enlisted  Nov.  26,  1916,  and  answered  the  president's  call 
March  25,  1917.  He  served  overseas  in  Bat.  E.,  123rd  Reg.,  Field  Art.,  58th 
Brig.,  33rd  Div.,  as  first  lieutenant. 

Mr.  Dexter  was  stationed  at  Camp  Lowden,  Springfield,  111.,  from  April 
1,  1917,  till  July  4,  1917.  Later  he  was  stationed  at  Canute  Aviation  Field, 
Rantoul,  111.,  and  at  Camp  Houston,  Tex.  He  was  with  the  A.  E.  F.  in 
France  from  June,  1918  till  May,  1919,  taking  part  in  the  St.  Mihiel  offensive 
Sept.  12,  1918,  and  in  the  Argonne  offensive  Sept.  26,  1918. 

Mr.  Dexter  was  first  lieutenant  of  Bat.  E.  of  the  123rd  Field  Art.     Each 
battery  was  equipped  with  155  m.m.  (6  in.)  Schneider  Howitzers.     Each  first 


WKTHKRSPmLO     SKETCHES 127 

lieutenant  was  specially  trained  for  the  responsibility  of  all  guns,  gun  crews, 
ammunition,  prompt  tiring,  etc.,  within  his  respective  battery. 

After  the  Armistice  was  declared  Mr.  Dexter  was  with  the  Army  of 
Occupation  in  Germany  from  December,  1918,  till  May  1919.  He  was  dis- 
charged June  7,  1919. 

Alonzo  E.  Miller 

Alonzo  E.  Miller,  b.  May  29,  18S7.  He  enlisted  in  U.  S.  Navy  July  28, 
1905.  He  was  in  Australia  when  the  World  War  broke  out.  He  returned 
to  the  U.  S.  and  re-enlisted  in  the  navy.  A.  E.  F.,  U.  S.  N.  (13  yrs.)  Work- 
ing for  the  Standard  Oil  Co.     26  Broadway,  New  York  City. 

Elsworth  O.  Miller 

Elsworth  O.  Miller,  b.  April  28,  1895.  He  volunteered  May  15,  1917.  He 
was  first  stationed  at  Springfield,  111.,  then  at  Camp  Logan,  Houston,  Tex. 
108th  French  Mortar  Bat.,  58th  Brig.     2117  Chicago  Ave.,  Minneapolis,  Minn. 

Roy  Gabriel 

Roy  Gabriel,  b.  Feb.  5,  1888.  Purchasing  Agent  for  Boss  Man.  Co.  122 
East  Church  St.,  Kewanee,  111.  Entered  service  April  10,  1918,  being  sta- 
tioned for  two  months  at  Bradley  Polytechnic  Institute,  Peoria,  111.  He  was 
stationed  in  the  Artillery  Maintenance  Dept.,  and  was  stationed  at  Mehun- 
sur-yevre,  France,  for  twelve  months  during  the  war.  He  was  discharged 
at  Camp  Grant,  July  24,  1919. 

Harold  M.  Lay 

Harold  M.  Lay,  b.  Jan.  11,  1897.  Salesman  for  Boss  Man.  Co.  He  en- 
listed July  1,  1917,  in  S.  S.  U.  539,  and  sailed  from  New  York  Aug.  6,  1917. 
He  was  at  Champagne  Sector  from  October,  1917  till  May,  1918;  at  Saumur 
Artillery  School  May,  1918  till  September,  1918,  and  on  the  Moselle  Sector 
till  June,  1919.    He  was  discharged  July  18,  1919. 

Elmer  E.  Anderson 

Elmer  E.  Anderson,  b.  Jan.  10,  1895.  Farmer,  No.  3,  Galva,  111.  He 
entered  the  war  Dec.  15,  1917.  Det.  303  till  Jan.  14,  1918;  Prov.  Co.  No.  8 
Jan.  14,  1917  till  Jan.  31,  1918;  2  M.  C.  Det.,  Jan.  31,  to  Jan.  24,  1919,  when 
he  was  discharged.  He  was  stationed  respectively  at  East  St.  Louis,  111.; 
Washington,  D.  C,  and  at  Langley  Field,  Va. 

Ralph  G.   Kennish 

Ralph  G.  Kennish,  b.  Dec.  19,  1890.  Clerk  at  Walworth,  Kewanee,  111. 
He  entered  the  World  War  June  25,  1918,  most  of  the  time  belonging  to 
Co.  B.,  56th  Infantry,  7th  Division.  He  left  Camp  Grant  in  August,  1918, 
and  sailed  on  the  Minnekahda  to  Liverpool.  Going  to  Southampton  he 
crossed  the  English  Channel  to  LaHarve.  He  was  stationed  west  of  Metz 
during  most  of  his  term  of  service.     He  was  discharged  June  9,  1919. 

Edward  E.  Robb 

Edward  E.  Robb,  b.  Nov.  6,  1888.  Robb's  Bootery.  625  Roose- 
velt Ave.,  Kewanee,  111.  He  entered  the  war  Sept,  9,  1918.  After  six  weeks 
in  Limited  Service  at  Camp  Grant  he  was  transferred  to  Cambridge,  111., 
to  help  take  care  of  registration  blanks  and  other  duties  pertaining  to  the 
same.     He  was  discharged  at  Camp  Grant  Feb.  29,  1919. 


128 


WETHERSFIBLD     SKETCHES 


The  World   War 

The  World  War  began  on  Aug.  1,  1914,  by  Germany's  declaration  of  war 
against  Russia.  The  United  States  declared  war  against  Germany  on  April 
6,  1917.  The  Armistice,  which  ended  the  World  War,  went  into  effect  at 
noon  on  the  eleventh  day  of  the  eleventh  month  of  the  year,  one  thousand 
nine  hundred  and  eighteen. 

CONCLUSION 

In  concluding  these  sketches  I  would  have  my  readers  remember  the 
part  that  this  nation,  through  its  soldiers  and  sailors,  has  taken  in  bringing 
about  universal  freedom  to  mankind. 

When  Divine  Providence  planted  a  few  small  colonies  along  the  Atlantic 
coast  of  North  America,  she  scattered  in  the  hearts  of  these  colonists  the 
seeds  of  the  plant,  liberty,  which,  when  full  grown,  was  to  strike  a  death 
blow  to  tyranny  and  oppression. 

The  first  great  blow  for  liberty  was  struck  at  Lexington,  April  19,  1775, 
and  the  keynote  of  that  blow  for  liberty  was  embodied  in  the  Declaration 
of  Independence,  July  4,  1776. 

It  took  the  Civil  War  with  its  four  years  of  bloodshed  to  free  a  nation. 
That  war  and  that  greatest  exponent  of  human  freedom,  Abraham  Lincoln, 
dedicated  this  country  to  liberty  and  focused  the  eyes  of  the  world  upon 
this,  the  greatest  liberty-loving  nation  in  the  world. 

In  1898  the  United  States  took  up  the  cause  of  the  enslaved  Cubans. 
She  sacrificed  the  lives  of  her  citizens  and  spent  the  wealth  of  the  nation 
that  Cuba  might  become  the  home  of  a  free  and  happy  people. 

In  1914  when  that  greatest  of  all  tyrants  against  human  liberty 
the  German  Kaiser,  was  about  to  rivet  his  manacles  upon  the  Eastern  con- 
tinent, the  despairing  eyes  of  the  nations  of  Europe  turned  to  the  United 
States.  And  with  nothing  to  gain  but  all  to  lose  this  nation,  bred  in  liberty, 
threw  off  the  bonds  of  conservatism  which  had  kept  her  heretofore  from 
meddling  in  Old  World  affairs  and  again  poured  out  her  blood  and 
treasures  without  stint  to  make  that  liberty  for  which  her  flag  is  the  symbol, 
world-wide  and  universal. 


Hazelton    Page's   Ox   Team,    in   the   40's 


AVETHERSFIKLD     SKETCHES 129 

INDEX 

Autumn 3 

A  Faded  Rose  28 

Annexation 44 

Academy,  The  Old 49 

Alumni,    The 73 

Anderson,    Vernon    J 122 

Anderson,  Elmer  E 127 

Allen,   Fenton   C 97 

Anthony,  Charles  J 99 

Anscomb,  Leo  Ray  ..113 

Building,  First  School  48 

Buyers  of  Stock 31 

Brewery,   The 41 

Barber   Shop ..... 45 

Bob  White  7 

Blue-eyed  Mary 8 

Boyhood   Memories   65 

Bell,  Old  School 70 

Bluebird  and   Robin 75 

Bull  Fight,  The 102 

Baker,  Sylvester  L : 119 

Bean,  George  S ..... 115 

Berg,  Armand  L 108 

Bergquist,  Raymond  L 104 

Bergquist,  Agne  L 103 

Bergquist,  Roy  L 104 

Bloom,   Harry 119 

Binge,  Leo 125 

Brose,  Charles  F 109 

Blair,  Ralph  P 104 

Bowen,   Clayton   F 123 

Civic  League 38 

Colony  Lands  In  1848 18 

Circle,  Wethersfield 24 

Church,  Saxon  Baptist  24 

Church,  Saxon,  M.  E 28 

Church,  Wethersfield  Baptist  25 

Church,  Wethersfield  M.  E 25 

Church,  Wethersfield    Congregational    25 

Cemetery,  Wethersfield 27 

Cemetery,   Saxon 28 

Cemetery,   Catholic 28 

Course  of  Study : 52 

Class  of  1907 73 

Class  of  1908 75 

Class  of  1909 76 

Class  of  1910 79 

Class  of  1911 80 

Class  of  1912 80 

Class  of  1913 82 

Class  of  1914 82 

Class  of  1915 83 

Class  of  1916 83 

Class  of  1917  84 


130 WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 

Class  of  1918 84 

Class  of  1919 85 

Class  of  1920 85 

Class  of  1921 86 

Class  of  1922 86 

Class  of  1923 87 

Class  of  1924  88 

Class  of  1925 88 

Senior  Class 89 

Class  Prophecy  77 

Call  to  Duty,  A 90 

Cronau,  Leslie  H 125 

Coleman,  Raymond  M 113 

Cady,  Laurence  C 126 

Craig,  Noel   E 112 

Craig,  Ross  W 99 

Craig,  Glen  C 94 

Chamberlain,  Orain  O 119 

Conclusion    128 

Ditching   and   Draining 32 

Dexter,  C.  L 126 

Dougherty,  Walter  T 126 

Dustin,  Ernest  G 113 

Early   Marketing 30 

Experiment    Station    42 

Early  Reaping  and  Harvesting 34 

Early,  Walter  L 115 

Evans,  William  H 120 

Fences 29 

Forests 5 

Formation  of  High  School 58 

Foreword ...     46 

Field  Day  60 

Fraser,  John  H 119 

Franklin,  John  H 119 

Felt,  Bernard  L 113 

Fulper,  Dean  C 105 

Felton,   George  W 100 

Ford,  George  91 

Fuller,  William  G 107 

Game 6 

Green,  Warren  E 120 

Gymnasium 60 

Gabriel,   Roy 127 

German,  Harold  W ...  101 

Gleich,  Herman  A 100 

Husking  Corn 34 

Husker,   The 34 

Harvesting  In  1925 35 

Huffman  Motor  Co 45 

High  School  Pin,  Our 79 

History  of  the  Class  (1912) 81 

Hunt,  Cullen 123 

Hendricks,  Hayden  H 98 

Hoffman,  John  Brewster  ,.  100 

Hagerty,  Clement  J 125 


WETHERSFIELP     SKETCHES 131 

Hand,  James  H 124 

Indians 9 

Insect    Pests 42 

Insurance,  Farmer's  Mutual 40 

Incidents  of  the  School  Year 74 

Johnson,  Arthur  E - 110 

Johnstone,  George  R .». 121 

Johnstone,  Ruth  M 115 

Kulgren,  Arnold 90 

Kersten,  William , 117 

Kersten,   Carl  F 120 

Kromnow,  Edward  0 117 

Kellogg,   Herbert  C ...  119 

Kennish,  Ralph  G 127 

Kulgren,  Carl  F 112 

Light  and  Gas 43 

Literary  Societies   71 

Libraries 72 

Lindstrom,  Arthur  A 119 

Lay,  Harold  M 127 

Lyons,  Lawrence  W 117 

Lempke,  Edward  W 110 

Logsdon,  Orville 122 

Miller,  Ellsworth  O 127 

Miller,  Alonzo  E 127 

Moore,   Leo   D 125 

McGinnis,  H.  W 123 

Meaney,  Matthew  T 123 

Lest  We  Forget 114 

Minerals    6 

Marriage,  The  First  38 

Manual   Training   72 

Murder 41 

Mail 42 

Memories    61 

Nahra,  Faras  H 118 

Nicholson,  Joseph Ill 

Oath  of  Office 41 

Orchard,  The  8 

Old  Settlers'  Reunion 39 

Origin  and  Early  History 11 

Our  Pioneer  Grandmothers 20 

Position 2 

Playground  Apparatus  55 

Pavement 43 

Planting  Corn  33 

Prairies,  The 20 

Prairie  Fires 20 

Pioneer,  The 23 

Pupil,   The   47 

Plow,  The  Old 32 

Pulliam,  William  R 126 

Partridge,  Ray  S 114 

Pierce,  Dewey  H ...  10S 

Peterson,  Alva  C 107 

Perkins,  John  W 117 


132 WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES 

Railroads 31 

Restaurant,   Blue   Goose 45 

Restaurant,   Wethersfield   45 

Ring  Around  the  Rosy 56 

Roads,  State  Hard 43 

Robb,  Claire  J 124 

Robb,  Edward  E *. 127 

Radford,  Carroll  H 114 

Radford,  Elwyn  F 113 

Rosenow,  Ernest  F.  F 104 

Robson,  Charles  S 91 

Roper,  William  S 103 

Roper,  Frank  E 103 

Rorah,  Clyde  E 120 

Size 5 

Soil,  The 5 

Songster,  The 3 

Spring 2 

Summer 2 

Survey,  Original  13 

Streets  In  the  Village 13 

Sickness 31 

Street   Cars ...     43 

Sidewalks 43 

Store,  On  Lot  64 44 

Store,  On  Lot  65 45 

Some  Days  46 

School,  Saxon  61 

School,  Dana 63 

School,  Good 63 

School,    Craig 64 

School,  The 47 

School,  South  Brick 48 

School,  North  Brick  1 57 

School,  Township  High 59 

School,   The   First  J 47 

School,  On  the  Public  Square 57 

School,  Old  Spelling 60 

School,  Indian   Creek 65 

School,    Armstrong 67 

School,  Whiting 68 

School,  Sadler  69 

School,  Garden 71 

School,   Night 71 

School   Section   71 

Superintendent  59,  72 

School  Song 74 

Soldiers  and  Sailors,  Our — .     90 

Sanford,  William  P ....  123 

Sanford,  W.  E 90 

Stinson,  Cecil  G 106 

Schmidt,  Laverne  C 107 

Seifert,  Eldon  H 125 

Threshing 37 

Thresher  Today  37 

Taylor  &  Co.,  A.  C 44 


AV  ETH  K  LISFIELD     SKETCH  K& 133 

Teacher,  The  47 

Turner,  Robert  M Ill 

Wethersfield 1,40 

Winter  4 

When  the  Village  Was  Young  21 

Wages    30 

Wiley's  Shop  41 

Winter  Elves,  The  3 

Wild  Flowers  7 

Wethersfield  School  Grounds  55 

Wells,  Fred  L 115 

Winquist,  Arnold  B 123 

Whitwell,  Avery  M 125 

World  War  128 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Arrowheads    .... , 9 

Academy,  The  Old  49 

At  Play  56 

Auction  Bill   (1848) 18 

Circular   (1837)  15 

Cabin,  The  Little  23 

Cabin,  Kilvington 12 

Church,  Congregational 26 

Chow    Call 125 

Dinner  Hour,  The 56 

Flower   Beds 89 

Flag    90 

Fence,   Zigzag  29 

Graduates,  The  First 73 

Hurd,  Mr  .and  Mrs 38 

Husking  Corn  34 

Harvesting   (1925) ....„ 36 

In  the  Shade  of  the  Poplars 57 

In    School 47 

In   Camp 122 

Inspection  101 

Map  of  Colony  Lands    (1848) 19 

Map  of  School  Districts  68 

On  Guard  Duty 118 

Ox  Team,  Hazelton  Page's 128 

Plow,  The  Old 32 

Parsonage,  Congregational  26 

President  Grant  112 

School,  The  Blish 58 

School,  The  Sadler  70 

School,  The  Whiting ~ 69 

School,  The  Armstrong  67 

School,  Indian  Creek 66 

School,  The  Craig  64 

School,   The  Good  63 

School,  The  Saxon  62 

School,  The  First 45 

School,  South  Brick 48 

School,  Township  High  59 


134 WETHERSFIELD    SKETCHES 

Summer 2 

Tavern,  The  First 10 

Taylor  and  Co.,  A.  C 44 

Wethersfield  Trees „ 5 

Wethersfield  Kite  60 


WETHERSFIELD     SKETCHES  135 


^ WETHERSFIELD     SKKTr!TTre« 


